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 fixings of hopefully healthy and delicious lunches.

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 twentieth 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. Additionally, these lunch boxes were often fashioned from old tobacco boxes. 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.

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!

The origins of the lunchbox, specifically those metal boxes outfitted in pop-culture references from Mickey Mouse to Lost in Space, can be traced back to the metal pails that mill workers and coal miners would carry with them to work each day in the late nineteenth century. The sturdy, metal tobacco boxes were an ideal way to protect your lunch from the rugged, workplace environment. 

Children started to emulate their fathers by packing their lunches in metal cookie boxes and tobacco boxes for school. In 1902, the first commercial lunchbox landed on shelves. The metal lunchbox looked like a traditional picnic basket. 

It wasn't until 1935, when Mickey Mouse got his first starring appearance on a lunchbox, that the first pop-culture figure was depicted on a lunchbox. By the 1950s, executives at Aladdin realized the potential of these metal lunchboxes adorned with popular cartoons, celebrities, and pop-culture icons to become a cultural phenomenon among school-aged children.

Released in 1954, this Lone Ranger cowboy-themed lunchbox reflected one of the most popular cartoons of its era. 

The rounded top of the red barn lunchbox that would be rereleased over the next decade, looks more similar to the classic worker pales and lunchboxes carried to factories and mines in the 1920s, only with a colorful barn scene added.

Using the newly popular rectangular shape that would remain for decades to come, this Mickey Mouse lunchbox provided a modern and updated interpretation of the original cartoon likeness nearly two decades after the original. 

Also popular in the 1950s was the timeless group of Charlie Brown characters, particularly Snoopy. This matching Snoopy box and thermos provided the perfect way to transport both food and drink away from home. 

No pop culture discussion would be complete without mention of The Beatles, and lunchboxes are no exception — seen here is a box from the 1960s, bearing the famous foursome's images. 

Barbie was released in 1957 and immediately became a pop-culture icon as one of the most advertised toys on the market. This black, vinyl lunchbox by Thermos marks a slight deviation from metal lunchboxes that dominated this era.

As Disney gained steam and developed more characters, another round of Disney tins was created — in this 1960s school bus rendition, many of the best-known figures are pictured. 

This 1976 box shows the popular sitcom Happy Days, highlighting a cartoon likeness of Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli. 

As one of the most famous movies of all time, the 1980s film E.T certainly deserves a place on our list of lunchboxes throughout history. 

It wasn't until molded plastic in the 1980s that lunchboxes saw a major redesign. The classic metal designs remained, but the hard plastic boxes with plastic thermoses became increasingly popular.

One of the most iconic boxes of the 1990s bears a classic image of the beloved cartoon show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

Today, much of the focus of commercial products is on efficiency and practicality — this simple lunchbox highlights this trend, keeping the entertainment value low, but the efficiency level high.

The thermos, which was popularly used to keep milk cold or soup hot, has been replaced in many instances with a matching plastic water bottle.

Today, children are more likely to carry with them soft, foldable lunchboxes with characters like Dora the Explorer on them, than the classic hard case metal boxes from the 1950s.

Representing what is perhaps the most iconic commercial image of the modern-day era, this Apple lunchbox is simple and characteristic of American pop culture in the early 21^st century. 

Adco's Davy Crockett at the Alamo lunchbox from 1955 is worth around $1,800 on its own, and $3,500 with the matching thermos.