Description
Thought to be 1930’s Crawford’s sarcophagus shaped biscuit tin. This shape of tin was made in 1925. The inscription on the base reads Crawford’s delightful biscuits and shortbread Crawford’s ginger nuts are outstanding.
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.
Please remember when buying vintage items they will have signs of use but that is also what makes them so unique. We do our best to photograph and explain the condition of the item as best we can. If you have any questions about a particular item please contact us. Please take the time to look at all pictures.
Product code:30959