{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O297777"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O297777/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LM2853/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LM2853/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LM2853","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":true}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O297777","accessionNumber":"M.482&A-1983","objectType":"Cake tin","titles":[{"title":"Christmas Cake for Children","type":"trade title"},{"title":"M.J. Franklin Collection of British Biscuit Tins","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"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 flamboyantly shaped tins.","physicalDescription":"Biscuit tin, offset litho printed tinplate, octagonal, with scenes of toy figures.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"W. & R. Jacob and Co.","id":"A13879"},"association":{"text":"made for","id":"x30791"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"tinplate","id":"x32089"}],"techniques":[{"text":"offset lithography","id":"AAT192900"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Offset litho printed tinplate","categories":[{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Eating","id":"THES48963"},{"text":"Food vessels and tableware","id":"THES48952"},{"text":"Product design","id":"THES49025"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2019LM2853"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES399661"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES399661"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cake tin","id":""}],[{"text":"Lid for a Biscuit Tin","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"Yes-general","note":"Racist stereotypes"},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1934","earliest":"1934-01-01","latest":"1934-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by M. J. Franklin","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"9.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"From the M.J. Franklin Collection of British Biscuit Tins.\n\nHistoric objects depicting popular characters and pastimes sometimes show outdated and offensive imagery. Among the collection of biscuit tins is this cake tin depicting children's toys from the 1930s, one of which is a depiction of a 'gollywog'. The original golly was a central character in a series of books published between 1895 and 1909. Bertha Upton (1849–1912) wrote the books and her daughter, Florence Kate Upton (1873–1922), illustrated them. They based the character ‘Golliwogg’ (as it was originally spelled) on a doll Florence owned as a child growing up in 1880s America. The appearance and clothing of the doll (see B.493-1997) is based on the ‘blackface minstrel’ figure, a 19th-century racial caricature of African Americans. Blackface minstrel shows were performed by white actors and singers, who parodied African Americans by darkening their skins with shoe polish or burnt cork. These portrayals perpetuated many negative stereotypes and were steeped in racism. The shows originated in the USA, with the first widely known blackface character, ‘Jim Crow’, appearing around 1830. Soon after it became popular in the UK, which developed its own blackface traditions. \n\r\nFlorence moved to the UK in the 1890s, where the Uptons’ books became very popular. Their Golliwogg character was not copyrighted, allowing multiple representations of the golly to enter the public domain. The character featured in British toys, games, textiles, ceramics and children’s books, and was used as a mascot by the food manufacturer, Robertson’s, from about 1910. From the 1980s the character’s popularity began to wane as campaigners fought against the racist stereotypes that the golly represented. Robertson’s continued to promote the figure as part of a British ‘national tradition’ until 2001, when they stopped using the golly in their branding.  \r\n\r\n ","historicalContext":"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 process of offset lithography, patented in 1877 allowed multicoloured designs to be printed on to a variety of shaped tins.\n\r\nThe most flamboyant 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.\r\n\r\nThe advent of the Second World War stopped all production of decorative tin ware and after it ended in 1945, the custom never really revived.","briefDescription":"Cake tin, `Christmas Cake For Children', offset litho printed tinplate, England, made for W.& R. Jacob & Co., 1934.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Michael Franklin, <font -u>British Biscuit Tins</font>, London, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1984, ISBN. 0905209621"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.482-1983","M.482A-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"482","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Biscuit tin","Lid for a Biscuit Tin"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-23","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}