Object Type
Biscuit barrels were one of many types of container designed to suit a particular food. Cheaply made in pressed glass, such containers and the tablewares they sometimes matched became widely available. The fact that a barrel was deemed appropriate for biscuits perhaps suggests an allusion to the storage of ships' biscuits. During the 19th century the commercial manufacture and packaging of foods, including biscuits, became increasingly commonplace, as movement of goods became cheaper by rail and as foodstuffs were exported to the Empire. Commercially made biscuits became socially acceptable also. Huntley & Palmer became official suppliers to Queen Victoria in 1868.

Materials & Making
The technique of press-moulding glass with the aid of a hand-operated machine was first perfected in the United States of America in the early 1820s. It took only two people to shape a measured quantity of hot glass in a heated metal mould. By simply depressing a lever, a metal plunger was lowered into the glass, forcing it into the patterned mould. By the 1830s this method had spread to Europe and Britain, giving rise to stylistic changes and revolutionising the availability of glassware. The technique made the mid-to late 19th century the first period of true mass production. In the 1890s the introduction of steam-powered presses improved quality while cutting costs even further.

People
Comparatively little is known of the history of Molineaux, Webb & Co. Thomas Webb II founded his own glassworks at Kirby Street, Ancoats, outside Manchester, in 1827 and by 1848 he was in partnership with Molineaux (whose forename may also have been Thomas). The earliest firm identification of Molineaux Webb production is in 1864, when they first registered designs. Some of their most successful and highly praised patterns were in a restrained Greek Revival style or in imitation of classic wheel-cut decoration.