Let’s Do Lunch… Vintage Style!

Vintage lunch boxes are definitely on my list of favorite vintage things. I think it’s because they remind me so much of my own childhood. Unfortunately, the old ones aren’t very practical or even appropriate to hand down to our children. In fact, many of them probably violate a dozen child safety laws in today’s world (lead paint, sharp edges, rust, etc.). But, oh what a nostalgic collectible.

Now if I go back to my own childhood I can distinctly remember my first lunch box. (Exhibit A)

I actually think Raggedy Ann was a hand-me-down from my big sis because I know it wasn’t long before the tin was gone and I had plastic Smurfs. (Exhibit B)

Truth be told, the vintage lunch pails and tins I really adore go back several decades further — back when lunch boxes for children were just beginning to appear.

In 1935, Walt Disney introduced the first lunch box targeted specifically for children (big surprise, right?).  By adding the image of Mickey Mouse to the pail, the concept of character lunchboxes for children was born.

However, these Mickey originals were only sold from 1935-1936.  It wasn’t until TV programming for children came about in the 1950s that the demand for children’s lunch boxes rekindled.  Hopalong Cassidy was the first TV show to give away the right to produce lunchboxes featuring Hopalong — and the rest, they say, is history. Children began begging for colorful lunch tins featuring their favorite characters. This trend persisted for decades giving lunch boxes a firm spot in American culture.

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