Bogotá: The creator of ABC briefcases, Manuel Antonio Moreno, died – Bogotá

This week, Manuel Antonio Moreno grabbed his ABC briefcase and went to heaven. His family confirmed that the maker of the iconic item that became popular in the 1960s passed away this Wednesday, July 15, by covid-19.

Moreno, together with Gustavo Cruz (also deceased), started manufacturing briefcases in the 1960s in Bogotá, which, to this day, are still in force and are marketed online. Her son, Manuel Moreno, is the heir to his legacy and the current manager, Maletas ABC.

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EL TIEMPO recognizes Moreno’s work and then reproduces a chronicle written by Felipe Motoa, published in 2016.

Meet the Original Manufacturer of ABC Briefcases

Manuel Antonio Moreno defines himself as the true, the original, the authentic manufacturer of the classic ABC briefcase, that leather book holder that for generations was brought to schools and that today is an object of worship and collection among nostalgics.
In the south of Bogotá, the factory still cuts, molds, embosses, engraves and paints the iconic suitcase. The origin of this article is familiar. Manuel Antonio (who is around 70 years old) started the business in the 1960s. In association with Gustavo Cruz (now deceased) they started production.

Before, Cruz had learned the technique from a Jew, Sigismund Bossley, who had developed several businesses around leather. “The copper plates or cliches with which the ABC stamps and other impressions are engraved were and have been the property of the Moreno family for 60 years,” says Manuel.

The above contrasts with the note published under the title The manufacturer that does not let die the classic ABC briefcase (February 28, 2015).

In this journalistic text, Mr. Javier Espitia proclaimed himself a manufacturer and assured that with his wife he maintained a production workshop in Teusaquillo, which he did not allow journalists to enter because “I am very jealous of leather models.” Very enthusiastic, although already confronted by the journalist, he continues with his traditional sale in the center of the city.

In other words, ‘mister’ Espitia posed as creative and wanted to take responsibility for the memorable book-holder. Later, when Moreno contacted me, I almost went backwards. And even more when Espitia confessed her lie: “Yes, Don Manuel is the manufacturer; Why should I say no, if yes. He has sold them to me for over 20 years and I have bought him by the millions. ”

To reinforce the above, Moreno explains in his communication with the chronicler: “Mr. Espitia is not the manufacturer of the briefcase. He has been a recognized distributor and retailer of the same for over two decades, but he is not the manufacturer.

Manufacturing

Printing on leather demands precision. The process combines pressure and low temperature so as not to burn the material. Luz Mary Vega, Manuel Antonio Estrada and Enrique Acosta are the technical operators of the company. She, for example, is approaching 60 years old and has dedicated her entire life to the suitcase. At 16 she met her boss. With her glasses on and the delicate pulse of an illustrator, she fills the familiar figures of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and their nephews with color.

The room that houses the microenterprise is a room barely enough to locate several counters, chairs, knives, press, sewing machines, shelves and other equipment. Its floor is clapboard, and most of the furniture is in wood. As a curious fact, Moreno says that “The presses used were acquired in the 1970s in an auction that the newspaper EL TIEMPO made when it renewed its equipment and switched to new technologies.”

Dozens of briefcases rest, packed in transparent plastic bags, waiting to be distributed among the merchants who sell them in Bogotá and other cities. Regarding commerce, Moreno reveals that his company has not survived without its drawbacks. For some years he had to stop the production of briefcases because the distributors stopped buying him. New types of backpacks, more agile and lighter, have put the existence of your product in check.

But the inventiveness of Manuel Antonio Moreno (son) brought new airs and possibilities to the first three letters of the alphabet.

The variation in sizes, from a toddler case to a laptop-carrying bag, increased sales, and the business is running smoothly. The paradox is that the briefcase of yesteryear is also traded online, and now sales do not stop between young and old.

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Everyone says goodbye to the ‘lord of the briefcases’

The citizens are already reacting to the death of Manuel Antonio and remember his moments with the briefcases.