{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O22786"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O22786/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AL2694/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AL2694/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AL2694","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JK7157","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O22786/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O22786","accessionNumber":"W.51&A-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.\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 a promotional product made for a cigarette company, a common practice during the period.","physicalDescription":"Brown bakelite Art Deco style cigarette box and lid - rectangular with rounded corners. Central solid handle on lid with three grooves running its length. Lid decorated with geometic shape formed of three grooves.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Bakelite","id":"AAT14544"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"AAT54068"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Bakelite (compression-moulded phenol formaldehyde)","categories":[{"text":"ELISE","id":"THES48961"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"},{"text":"Plastic","id":"THES49026"},{"text":"Smoking accessories","id":"THES49036"},{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"}],"styles":[{"text":"Art Deco","id":"AAT21426"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AL2694","2016JK7157"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES302176"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES302176"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cigarette box","id":""}],[{"text":"Lid","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"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":"4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"8.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"14.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"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":"Plastic technology and the exploitation of the material, vastly increased during the 1930s. Plastic was perfectly suited to producing the sleek lines of Art Deco and the geometric design on this box is similar to those used to decorate radios, commonly made of plastic.\r\n\r\nThis small box was probably used for cigarettes. After the war of 1914-18 social attitudes, probably encouraged by films, relaxed towards smoking, particularly amongst women and it became a social habit of more than half the adult British population. This box may have been a promotional product made for a cigarette company, a common practise during the period.\r\n\r\n[Gareth Williams, 'British Design at Home', p.129]","briefDescription":"Cigarette box, 1930s.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["W.51-1983","W.51A-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"51","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Lid","Cigarette box"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-23","recordCreationDate":"2000-02-07","availableToBook":true}}