August 24, 2009
Going to Lunch in Style with Historic Lunchboxes
An assortment of lunchboxes from the exhibit "Taking America to Lunch," currently on display at the National Museum of American History. Image courtesy of the museum.
It’s back to school time, which means that kids everywhere are prepping for another year in the classroom. Of course, this requires purchasing those pieces of classroom haute couture, such as book bag, notebooks, new clothes and perhaps a pair of stylish-but-sensible sneakers. But let’s not forget the linchpin accessory for the schoolyard fashionista—the lunchbox.
In honor of the dawn of another school year, the Smithsonian’s American History Museum is once again displaying its lunchbox collection in the exhibit Taking America to Lunch, featuring pieces from the 1890s to the 1980s.
For working adults in the late 19th and early 20th century, lunchboxes were an earmark of social standing—if you were caught toting one, it indicated that you didn’t have the time or money to go home or out to an eatery for your midday meal. Kids, however, were—and still are—the ones who had the most fun with portable dining. Early on, youngsters were given whatever containers were handy to carry their lunch, such as empty tobacco or coffee tins. In 1902, store- bought metal lunchboxes for kids hit the market—it was shaped like a picnic basket and featured images of children at play.
Licensed characters, such as Mickey Mouse and his pals, began appearing on lunch kits as early as the 1930s—as can be seen in this Antiques Roadshow clip. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s and the advent of television that lunchboxes bearing beautifully lithographed artwork of pop culture icons became de rigeur. Soon enough, boxes bore the likenesses of TV stars such as Hopalong Cassidy and music groups including the Beatles and these brilliant bits of pressed tin became cafeteria status symbols. Indeed, the fabulous factor of lunchbox graphics could totally make or break a kid’s reputation. Erin Barrett and Jack Mingo—the only people I’ve yet to find who’ve had the presence of mind to write a nuanced appreciation of how people carry their food—write in their 2004 book Lunchbox, “For children who lived during the golden age of lunchboxes, choosing a carrying case for your peanut butter or bologna sandwiches was more than a practical decision—it showed who you were and who you aspired to be.”
Metal lunchboxes began to disappear by the mid-80s as the companies producing them began to favor cost-effective, but less-durable plastics. Yet, in the current trend of retro-chic aesthetics, the classic metal boxes are making a comeback. However, in looking at the preponderance of vintage images, it looks like the new lunchboxes are being marketed to baby boomers and generation X-ers looking to buy back a bit of their youth. Cynical observations aside, I harbor a great deal of respect for those people brave enough to tote around an accessory that brazenly displays an element of their personality.
How about you? How do you like to lunch? Take our poll or talk about your lunchbox memories in the comments area!
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I agree with the fact that lunch boxes are making a comeback. We have a ecommerce bags store and our highest selling bags are lunch bags. Our customers are looking to adopt eco friendly habits and reusing the lunch tote eliminates trash.
Some of our bags are featured with Betty Boop, Lucy, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, etc… We don’t go back as far as 1800’s, but the 1950 characters have been popular.
Comment by bags — August 26, 2009 @ 3:56 pm
I own a very old Lunchbox.I am trying to find out more about it.I believe it is made of tin,It is plad red and on the inside cover on the left hand side at the top it has SAFETY FIRST written,and then goes into descrbing how to cross the street ,walk not run in the halls,and so on.On the right hand side it shows pictures (3) children holding hands crossing a street,2 children on a teater tawter,and a child throwing out trash. It says that these rules are published as a contribution to the Child Safety Campaign of the NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL at the bottom it says that it is made by ALADDIN INDUSTRIES,INCORPORATED NASHVILLE,TENNESSEE. If anyone can help me that would be great!!
Lisa Henchen
#(585) 857 7334
Comment by Lisa Henchen — July 29, 2010 @ 8:49 pm
I have a very old lunchbox that i am trying to find out more about.It is red plad possibly made of tin.on the inside cover SAFETY FIRST is printed and then it goes into describing how to cross a street run not walk in the hallways and so on on the right hand side on the inside cover it shows (3)pictures of children( 1) chlidren holding hands (2) children on a teater tawter (3) achild throwing out trash. at the bottom it has ALADDIN INDUSTRIES,INCORPORATED NASHVILLE TENNESSEE. Also it says tha these safety rules are published as a contribution to the Child Safety Campaign of the NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL. if anyone can help me find out more about this unique lunchbox please call or email.
THANKYOU
LISA HENCHEN
#(585) 857-7334
Comment by Lisa Henchen — July 29, 2010 @ 9:00 pm
Great article! I am a huge fan of most things retro and love collecting these. Although there is a reasonable sized market for vintage lunch boxes articles on the subject are quite hard to find online (although there is more information offline, books etc). More of the same please!
Comment by tin lunch boxes — September 2, 2010 @ 4:41 pm
he first metal lunchbox produced was the Hopalong Cassidy created by the Aladdin Company of Nashville in 1950. They made a blue and a red lunchbox with a four-inch decal on the front side. The profits from the new lunchboxes enabled Aladdin to build a new lunch box manufacturing plant. Their second lunch box design was the decaled Tom Corbett Space Cadet box made in 1952. The American Thermos Company introduced the first lithographed lunchbox in 1953, it had a Roy Rogers design. The Aladdin company then changed their lunchboxes to being fully lithographed instead of using decals, in 1954.
Comment by organisation mariage — January 4, 2011 @ 4:01 pm
Great post. I too love all things retro — especially retro lunchboxes. This is one of the main reasons that we package all of our current products in retro tin lunch boxes. We get more positive feedback about kids loving our lunchboxes than we do on the products themselves.
Comment by Shelia Butler — December 27, 2011 @ 8:08 am