{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O323142"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O323142/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MG6130/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MG6130/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MG6130","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LY3731","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O323142","accessionNumber":"M.905-1983","objectType":"Counter String Dispenser","titles":[{"title":"M. J. Franklin Collection of British Biscuit Tins (Advertising Ephemera)","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"The British biscuit tin gained popularity after the Refreshment Houses Act and the Treaty of Commerce in 1860 brought about the use of printed paper labels on food and drink packaging. The two Acts increased the sale of bottles of wine, which needed labels to identify it. This normalised the idea of creating labels for food and drink and led to developments in printing processes. 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 eccentrically shaped tins.\r\n\nThe most unusual 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\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.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Counter string dispenser, offset litho printed tinplate in the form of a square biscuit tin, a Y shaped finial in the centre of the lid with a chamfered cutting edge bridging the two branches, an image of the company's ginger nuts within a roundel on the side.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Gray, Dunn & Co","id":"AUTH326617"},"association":{"text":"made for","id":"x30791"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"tinplate","id":"x32089"}],"techniques":[{"text":"offset lithography","id":"AAT192900"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Tinplate, offset litho printed","categories":[{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Eating","id":"THES48963"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2019MG6130","2019LY3731"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES337132"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Counter String Dispenser","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1903","earliest":"1898-01-01","latest":"1907-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by M. J. Franklin","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"11","unit":"cm","qualifier":"excluding cutter","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"10.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"10.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"GRAY DUNN & C<sup>O</sup>. L<sup>TD</sup>.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In script, on the lid."},{"content":"GRAY DUNN &amp; C<sup>O'S</sup> / FAMED / GINGER NUTS","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the side"}],"objectHistory":"M.J. Franklin Collection of British Biscuit Tins.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Counter string dispenser, offset litho printed tinplate, England, made for Gray, Dunn & Co., ca. 1903.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Michael Franklin, <font -u>British Biscuit Tins</font>, London, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1984, ISBN. 0905209621"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.905-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"905","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-06-29","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}