School Milk Bottle
1950-1959 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a free glass milk bottle with 'United Dairies' moulded into the glass. It would hold 1/3 of a pint of free school milk.
This milk bottle was used to administer free milk to children under the age of 18 in England and Wales. This initiative was part of the 1944 Education Act, which also introduced free school meals to children as well. In 1968, the Labour government withdrew free school milk to children in secondary schools, and in 1971, Margaret Thatcher (then Secretary of State for Education) removed free school milk from children over the age of 7. This removal led to the moniker 'Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher', and it was reported that she considered leaving politics because of the aftermath to her decision.
This milk bottle was used to administer free milk to children under the age of 18 in England and Wales. This initiative was part of the 1944 Education Act, which also introduced free school meals to children as well. In 1968, the Labour government withdrew free school milk to children in secondary schools, and in 1971, Margaret Thatcher (then Secretary of State for Education) removed free school milk from children over the age of 7. This removal led to the moniker 'Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher', and it was reported that she considered leaving politics because of the aftermath to her decision.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Moulded glass |
| Brief description | Glass school milk bottle (1/3 pint), made in England in the 1950s |
| Physical description | Clear glass milk bottle that would hold 1/3 of a pint of milk. The glass is thick, especially around the neck of the bottle. Moulded into the glass on the side of the bottle is 'United Dairies' |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Katherine Field |
| Object history | This bottle was featured in the exhibition 'Modern British Childhood 1948-2012'. This exhibition was at the V&A Museum of Childhood between 13th October 2012 and 14th April 2013. This milk bottle was used to administer free milk to children under the age of 18 in England and Wales. This initiative was part of the 1944 Education Act, which also introduced free school meals to children as well. In 1968, the Labour government withdrew free school milk to children in secondary schools, and in 1971, Margaret Thatcher (Secretary of State for Education) removed free school milk from children over the age of 7. |
| Summary | This is a free glass milk bottle with 'United Dairies' moulded into the glass. It would hold 1/3 of a pint of free school milk. This milk bottle was used to administer free milk to children under the age of 18 in England and Wales. This initiative was part of the 1944 Education Act, which also introduced free school meals to children as well. In 1968, the Labour government withdrew free school milk to children in secondary schools, and in 1971, Margaret Thatcher (then Secretary of State for Education) removed free school milk from children over the age of 7. This removal led to the moniker 'Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher', and it was reported that she considered leaving politics because of the aftermath to her decision. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.350-2012 |
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| Record created | April 25, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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