A Brief Look at The History Of Tin Lunch Boxes
Tin lunch boxes went through an important and exciting revolution during the middle part of the last century. This was largely due to a technique used to imprint visual designs onto metal - called lithography - which meant that these products were embellished with the colorful designs of contemporary TV and movie heroes.
This trend started during the early nineteen fifties once the Aladdin organization introduced the Hopalong Cassidy lunch box to market. This and other tin lunch boxes were quickly favored by youngsters all over the U.S. It is not surprising then that Aladdin's bottom line went through the roof and the company moved promptly to capitalize with their follow-up Tom Corbett Space Cadet box one year later during 1952. In the mean time, Roy Rogers was gearing up to roll-out his own product which he did through teaming up with the well known American Thermos Company.
Even though the hardware itself remained remarkably unimaginative - an uncomplicated box regularly escorted by a thermos - in the years that followed many more products ended up being released. The popular way of life of that time period had been told through the designs on these boxes!
It's all too easy to look back at this golden age and see nothing but loving thoughts of childhood and times of innocence. Nostalgia really is that potent! Nevertheless, it must be remembered that the background of the lunch box has a dark aspect to it too! As collectors of these items will know all too well many of the boxes from the early days have sustained considerable harm in the form of combat scarring through spats in the school playground. Perhaps this isn't too surprising in itself. Nonetheless, what's pretty shocking is this: the intensity and all round prevalence of the fighting ultimately got so extreme that through the beginning of the seventies mothers had begun lobbying state governing bodies to take actions against the "wicked" tin lunch boxes! This example of people power was most powerful in Florida and consequently, in 1972, the state legislature consented to impose a ban across the entire the state. Shortly after, this precedent was followed by additional states. However, these happenings really should be observed in the context that numerous manufactures had stopped production before this time anyways.
