December 5: If you give or receive a tin of biscuits as a gift this Christmas, there’s a good chance that the packaging will use a seasonal design.
The tradition of creating decorative Yuletide tins has a long history and was at its peak between 1870 and 1930, says Robert Opie, curator of the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in West London. During this time, tins were crafted to replicate miniature versions of books, buildings, a variety of vehicles, and many other items – then sold as packaging which could be enjoyed long after the confectionary inside had been eaten.
A collection of hundreds of such tins is on display at the museum from December 6 to March 31 2007. The Lost Art of the Biscuit Tin shows 450 of the most exotic examples, including those in the shape of books, motor cars, trains, ships and windmills. (For more information on times and entry prices go to http:// www.museumofbrands.com )
