Thimble — M.J. Franklin Collection of British Biscuit Tins (Advertising Ephemera), England, 1914
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1914
Thimble in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number M.879-1983), made in England, dated 1914. The museum's brief description reads: Thimble, (biscuit manufacturer's advertising ephemera), base metal, England, made for William Crawford & Sons, 1914.. Museum description: Thimble, base metal , slightly domed, dimpled surface with raised lettering around the base. The museum records it as Base metal, measuring Height 2.0 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The British biscuit tin gained popularity after the Refreshment Houses Act and the Treaty of Commerce in 1860 brought about the use of printed paper labels on food and drink packaging. The two Acts increased the sale of bottles of wine, which needed labels to identify it. This normalised the idea of creating labels for food and drink and led to developments in printing processes. 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 eccentrically shaped tins. The most unusual 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.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Base metal
- Dimensions
- Height 2.0 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Base metal
- Place recorded
- England
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- CRAWFORDS CREAM CRACKERS
Identification
- Museum object name
- Thimble
- Museum object number
- M.879-1983
- Museum system number
- O323168
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and date against a specialist reference.