Wedgwood
Biscuit Tin
1897 (made)
1897 (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.
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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Tinplate, offset litho printed |
| Brief description | Biscuit tin, `Wedgwood', offset litho printed tinplate, made for W & R Jacob & Co., England, 1897. |
| Physical description | Biscuit tin, offset litho printed tinplate, shaped sides, pale blue background and shaped based in the form of a cartouche. The sides and lid with embossed decoration including classical details such as sphinxes and goddesses, and two portraits of Queen Victoria in oval frames, one as a young Queen and one as a mature woman. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Credit line | M.J. Franklin Bequest |
| Object history | M.J. Franklin Collection of British Biscuit Tins |
| Subjects depicted | |
| 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. |
| Other number | 87/1216 - RF number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.70-1987 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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