Oval Basket thumbnail 1
Oval Basket thumbnail 2
Not on display

Oval Basket

Biscuit Tin
1905 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The British biscuit tin came about when the Licensed Grocer's Act of 1861 allowed groceries to be individually packaged and sold. Coinciding with the removal of the duty on paper for printed labels. It was only a short step to the idea of printing directly on to tinplate. The new process of offset lithography, patented in 1877 allowed multicoloured designs to be printed on to exotically shaped tins.

The most exotic designs were produced in the early years of the 20th century, just prior to the First World War. In the 1920s and 1930s, costs had risen substantially and the design of biscuit tins tended to be more conservative, with the exception of the tins targeted at the Christmas market and intended to appeal primarily to children. The designs, generally speaking are a barometer of popular interests.

The advent of the Second World War stopped all production of decorative tin ware and after it ended in 1945, the custom never really revived.

Delve deeper

Discover more about this object
interact Biscuit tins – a bite-sized history Our collection includes over 800 biscuit tins, produced between 1868 and 1939. Together they offer a tantalising snapshot of changing tastes, consumerism, and technological innovation.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Oval Basket (trade title)
  • M.J. Franklin Collection of British Biscuit Tins (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Direct lithographic printed tinplate and basket
Brief description
Biscuit tin, `Oval Basket', direct lithographic printed tinplate tin and basket, England, made for Huntley & Palmers, 1905.
Physical description
Biscuit tin, direct lithographic printed tinplate, metal liner within an outer basket.
Dimensions
  • Height: 9.0cm
  • Width: 18.5cm
  • Depth: 12.5cm
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by M. J. Franklin
Object history
M.J. Franklin Collection of British Biscuit Tins.
Summary
The British biscuit tin came about when the Licensed Grocer's Act of 1861 allowed groceries to be individually packaged and sold. Coinciding with the removal of the duty on paper for printed labels. It was only a short step to the idea of printing directly on to tinplate. The new process of offset lithography, patented in 1877 allowed multicoloured designs to be printed on to exotically shaped tins.

The most exotic designs were produced in the early years of the 20th century, just prior to the First World War. In the 1920s and 1930s, costs had risen substantially and the design of biscuit tins tended to be more conservative, with the exception of the tins targeted at the Christmas market and intended to appeal primarily to children. The designs, generally speaking are a barometer of popular interests.

The advent of the Second World War stopped all production of decorative tin ware and after it ended in 1945, the custom never really revived.
Bibliographic references
  • Michael Franklin, British Biscuit Tins, London, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1984, ISBN. 0905209621
Collection
Accession number
M.311-1983

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSON