I love it when somebody else writes a post which gives me inspiration [thanks Sue]. or when I am reading another blog, and they say that my blog gave them an idea [thanks Alison] Sue's post on Monday mentioned Iona and Peter Opie - a married couple who were 'folklorists' - and collected children's rhymes and researched their history.
I remembered that I had met their son Robert, some years ago, when we went with Liz and Steph to the Museum of Brands in London [it has moved to a new site since] He is an avid collector of all packaging, ancient and modern, and it is wonderful to see how styles have changed over the years.The museum has fabulous displays of tins, used to hold all sorts of household goods - cleaning materials, foodstuffs...I have a particular fondness for tin cans, where the design is printed onto the tin, not on a paper label which is stuck on later.
I have a large MaMade can, and a squat Fried Aubergine can acting as plant holders in the kitchen.Chalk for the blackboard in the Futility Room lives in a little Colmans Mustard tin.
Decaf teabags are in a screwtop Illy Coffee Can.
My birthday cake candles and holders are in a Tate And Lyle Golden Syrup tin.
The pens on my desk live in a Canadian Maple Syrup tin
I just think they are so attractive. These printed tins seem more popular abroad - I've seen gorgeous tins of coconut milk in the West Indian shops along the Walworth Road, and the Comptoir Libanese chain of Lebanese restaurants keep cutlery etc in colourful tomato paste cans. I mentioned the Tinned Fish Company in November. Sadly their tins are gorgeous before use- but once opened, most of the artwork is on the lid which is then discarded. [My SIL considered flattening them and nailing them up as decoration on a garden wall]
My washing powder is in a large "Dorset Knobs"tin- I didn't really like the biscuits, but it is a reminder of six happy years in Ferndown,
I remember when Christmas always meant the gift of a tin of talcum powder from one of my aunties. They were usually beautifully decorated, even if I wasn't keen on the scent
Yardleys Lavender or English Rose were most commonly given, with pictures of the old London street criers. But talc isn't on my wish list these days- and anyway I never liked the rust which accumulated on the bottom, as the tin stood in a steamy bathroom.I suppose it is easier and cheaper for a factory to stick on a paper label - but I do love a pretty printed can.
Don't you?
I do like a nice tin, tis true.
ReplyDeleteLast year, for my birthday, my MiL bought me a lovely hamper of things in posh tins and jars. Whilst I found the packaging unnecessarily wasteful (I.e. why did they need to package everything so fancy since you end up paying a fortune for the packaging which if you're me, you then have to try and reuse and I've already got SO many tins and jars in reuse) I have reused a few of them- I buy spaghetti from the Zero packaging shop and get them to put it in the absurdly long And thin biscuit tin and gave me Mum a duplicate of that same tin for Christnas full of organic linguine. And other jars and tins have various other things in.x
But I do have to label them carefully if I put something different in them. Rosie is quite confused that I have many biscuit tins, all sans biscuits
DeleteAccidentally pressed Publish whilst still editing. I love the tins but as mentioned, have too many! I'd love to visit the Brand museum. I love seeing changes in packaging. The typography is particularly pleasing.
ReplyDeleteYou'd love the museum I am sure
DeleteMy younger daughter gave us a basket of good from her local Italian deli for Christmas. She chose several items in tins because she knows how much I love a good tin!
ReplyDeleteDaughters give thoughtful gifts
DeleteI used to sell reproduction cards and posters from Robert Opie's company in my first shop in Ulverston, happy memories.
ReplyDeleteYes I love a good tin can and have all sorts of things in all sorts of cans, the funniest thing ever was when I was at the caravan and Alan was back in Wales, he rang to ask me where I kept the Bisto gravy granules as he had been searching high and low for them. When I said on the shelf right in front of you in the Bisto Tin, he just said 'really' as though it was the last place he expected them to be.
My bisto is in a pukka tin too
DeleteI don't pay so much attention to packaging, but I think I shall start now. I agree, the printed tins look so much better, with a little more class. I suppose all the 'same content different brand' stuff limits it, so a printed tin is sort of a statement of uniqueness. Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteI find that Basics ranges often have such similar packaging that I think I have a can of peaches in the cupboard and then discover it's tomatoes!
DeleteA friend of mine owns an antique/vintage gift shop and those type of tins go for a lot of money. Hang on to them! They are worth something and yes, while I actually don't have any, I do like them.
ReplyDeleteYes I'm hanging on to them!
DeleteA friend of mine had a fabulous collection displayed in his kitchen which I always envied. We always laughed as he had taken a photo to refer to whenever he had to take the display apart to clean things - he wanted to be sure to put everything back where it belonged!
ReplyDeleteI have accumulated a nice collection over the past few Christmas' of tins from one of the grocery companies here. They put their own brand shortbread, biscuits and chocolates (like Quality St.) into red and black tins with a tartan design circling the exterior. I have a collection of them on top of a large red bookcase.
I have my eye on a brand of teas that come in beautiful tins - but it's a fancy shop with very expensive teas - I'm sure I'd be paying more for the tin rather than the tea!
I had a small green and gold Harrods tea tin - but it seems to have disappeared in the move to Norfolk
DeleteI've got quite a few pretty tins in use--a tall Amaratini rectangle, a round Morton Salt one, a tall octagonal Flake tin and another round one with beautiful autumn leaves on it--but no identifiable logo. Mostly using them to store things like tea bags or craft items.
ReplyDeleteThe octagonal tin sounds interesting
DeleteI remember the Opie's book, "The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren", which was fascinating as there were differences in play, according to where you lived. Visiting my cousin in Yorkshire, I remember a game of two ball with her and her pal. Most games began with a rush to be first, second, etc. Well, one said "Ferry" and the other said "Peggy" and of course coming from Surrey I hadn't a clue what was going on and so I was last! I highly recommend the book.
ReplyDeleteI spotted the Canadian Maple Syrup can in your collection. I also have one of those little Colman's mustard tins.
When I was 8 we moved form Hertfordshire to County Durham, and when I was 11 we moved again, to Norfolk- and you are right, the same playground games had different words. The Colmans design is very old - but they have plastic lids nowadays.
DeleteI had a tiny Coleman's mustard tin for the longest time, but, I believe I decluttered it! These days, I have a few decorative tins holding various items, but, I am not collecting any more!
ReplyDelete