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Lunch Box Memories
March 6-July 18, 2004
"Lunch Box Memories," a Smithsonian traveling exhibition at the National Heritage Museum, recalled the times and places, the heroes and heroines, the fads and fantasies of America's youth through a rare collection of 75 metal lunch boxes. The exhibition was on view at the Museum from March 6 through July 18, 2004.
"Lunch Box Memories" featured illustrated metal lunch boxes dating from the early 1900s to one of the last boxes, manufactured in 1984. Lunch boxes originated in America around the turn of the 20th century, as the first factory workers of the American Industrial Revolution often toted lunches to work in empty biscuit containers or tobacco cans. Occasionally, children in rural areas would use them in the same way for their long journeys to school.
With the arrival of the 1950s, the status of the metal lunch box rose to that of a necessary accessory for a contented childhood. The popularity of these illustrated lunch boxes can be attributed to the post-World War II baby boom and the importance of suburban life. It became an everyday tradition for mothers to carefully pack their children's lunches. Children anticipated lunchtime and the excitement of opening their metal box to discover if mom had included some cookies or a special note. Between the 1950s and 1960s, more than 120 million metal lunch boxes were sold in America.
The arrival of plastic materials marked the demise of these fanciful lunch boxes. Two-piece plastic boxes were more quickly and cheaply made than metal boxes. Plastic could be seen as more sanitary than painted metal. Above all, plastic was the next new thing. The character Rambo, one of the last designs to grace the outside of a metal lunch box, was included in the exhibition. Also included in the show was a Beatles lunch box, which was the first to feature pop music performers. Annie Oakley was the first television-based lunch box designed especially for girls. Images of Hopalong Cassidy, Miss America, Roy Rogers Chow Wagon, and Star Wars were just some of the others on view.
"Lunch Box Memories" celebrated the metal lunch box's long journey through American history, serving as both a symbol of pop culture and self-expression. Tapping into the vivid memories and childhood connections that lie inside these metal lunch boxes, the exhibition reminded visitors of yesteryear, while helping to preserve the future of these rare, classic lunch boxes.
"Lunch Box Memories" was developed and organized by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Behring Center, and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).
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