Lunchboxes Through the Ages

The lunchbox is the classic symbol of happy childhood memories. Nearly everybody has carried one at some point in his or her lifetime, filled with sandwiches, sides, and juice boxes — all the fixins’ of hopefully healthy and delicious lunches.

Click here to see the Lunchboxes Through the Ages Slideshow

Since the original rendition of the modern-day lunchbox in the early 1900s, this American staple has taken many forms and born many images, often representing pop culture and social trends of the era. From cartoon characters to iconic and relevant imagery, lunchboxes have since been a subtle reflection of contemporary culture.
Interestingly, though, the concept of the lunchbox did not originate in the 20th century. Decades prior to this first version of the lunchbox we know today, a simpler lunch pail was carried — a cylindrical metal container used to transport food for a midday meal. This initial lunch pail was originally considered to be a symbol of low socioeconomic status; those who could afford the time and money necessary to eat a proper lunch would not need such a container. However, as the lunchbox developed over time to be a far more practical and socially acceptable tool, it came to embody all that was popular at the time. The monetization of lunchbox-cover imagery hit its stride in the 1950s, when a company called Aladdin emerged, capitalizing on the mass-production of lunchboxes.

Slideshow: Lunchboxes Through the Ages Slideshow

In honor of the beginning of the school year and the arrival of fall, here we take a look at a variety of lunchboxes throughout history, and highlight just how they’ve evolved — and how they’ve stayed the same — in both shape and design over the decades. Inherently, in doing so we also take a look at how pop culture and mass consumption of popular television characters has shifted.
Happy lunching!
 

Daisy Melamed is a freelance writer based out of New York City, and also writes for the New York Daily News and New York Magazine, among others. Follow her on Twitter @daisymelamed

IHOP to Roll Out Jelly Donut, Bananagram, Tiramisu Signature Pancakes

The Food Almanac: Thursday, April 23, 2013

Mother Calls Cops on Son Over Pop-Tart Theft