{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117827"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117827/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AA6525/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AA6525/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AA6525","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AF6588","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117827","accessionNumber":"W.74-1983","objectType":"Cigarette box","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Industrial use of plastics vastly increased during the 1930s. Plastic was perfectly suited to producing the sleek lines of Art Deco designs, and the geometric pattern on this box is similar to those used to decorate radios, commonly made of plastic. Bakelite was invented by Dr Leo Baekland in the USA before the First World War, as a synthetic material that lent itself to cheap mass-production moulding.  The word was later used as a general term for early plastics.\r\n\r\nThis box was probably used for cigarettes. After World War I social attitudes, probably encouraged by films, became more relaxed towards smoking, particularly among women, and it became a social habit for more than half the adult British population. This box may have been made as a promotional product for a cigarette company, a common practice during the period.","physicalDescription":"Brown and red mottled Bakelite cigarette box, with hinged lid.  The lid is decorated with a circle with  three parallel lines on either side, in relief.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Bakelite","id":"AAT14544"},{"text":"phenolic","id":"AAT14540"}],"techniques":[{"text":"compression moulding","id":"AAT54068"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Compression-moulded phenol formaldehyde ('Bakelite')","categories":[{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Plastic","id":"THES49026"},{"text":"Smoking accessories","id":"THES49036"}],"styles":[{"text":"Art Deco","id":"AAT21426"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AA6525","2006AF6588"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES302178"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cigarette box","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1930-1940","earliest":"1930-01-01","latest":"1940-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"16.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"from catalogue","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'25'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Paper label on bottom of box, indicating a number assigned by the donor."}],"objectHistory":"Fred Bulmer, a collector based in Leeds, Yorkshire, offered his collection of ‘plastic antiques’ to the V&A in late 1982. The Museum chose to purchase 59 objects from Bulmer the following year (for acquisition papers see MA/1/B3395). The objects were divided among the Museum’s collections according to object type: Furniture and Woodwork taking 26 objects (W.50 to 75-1983), Metalwork 18 objects (M.49 to 66-1984) and Ceramics and Glass 14 objects (C.41 to 54-1984).\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Brown and red Bakelite rectangular box with relief decoration of circle and parallel lines on the top.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["W.74-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"74","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-01","recordCreationDate":"2005-10-21","availableToBook":true}}