Lunch Bunch

It’s that time of year when all the kiddies make their way back to school. Hard to believe, as it seems like last week the summer recess bells were ringing. One of the school traditions I remember is bringing my lunch. As I got older, we had the option of “buying” lunch – you know pasty macaroni and cheese, those shaky jelly squares, mixed peas and corn and then some interesting main entrée – pizza (yum) or mystery meat loaf. At our house, Mom was always busy making lunches in the mornings before school  – lots of white bread and PB&J’s and my favorite – salami with ketchup and fritos!! She had lots of help organizing and building sandwiches, then into the lunch boxes they went which were lined up like soldiers – and they were so cool – Star Trek, GI Joe, Evil Kinevil, The Hulk, and so many more. I did some searching and found a bunch of info on lunch boxes that I just had to share. If you were a “lunchbox” kid, shoot me an email and let me know your favorite characters and lunch combo and any fun stories from cafeteria days (remember clapping when someone dropped their tray). Thanks to history.com, ciachef.edu, the Thermos Company, Aladdin, lunchbox.com, purwow.com and Wikipedia.com for the info. Enjoy!

Blast from the past

The concept of a food container has existed for a long time, but it was not until people began using tobacco tins to carry meals in the early 20th century, followed by the use of lithographed images on metal, that the containers became a staple of youth, and a marketable product. 

Since the 19th century, American industrial workers have used sturdy containers to hold hardy lunches, consisting of foods such as hard-boiled eggs, vegetables, meat, coffee, and pie.

Some of our earliest examples range from a meal wrapped in a hankie, a woven basket with handles, metal or tin container or a fancy wooden box used by the wealthy. Tinplate boxes and recycled biscuit tins commonly were used in the early 1800s, and fitted metal pails and boxes began to appear around the 1850s. Patents started to appear for lunchbox inventions in the 1860s.\

The most common modern form is a small case with a clasp and handle, often printed with a colorful image that can either be generic or based on children’s television shows, movie stars or singers. Use of lithographed metal to produce lunch boxes in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s gave way in the 1990s to use of injection-molded plastic. 

Vacuum bottles, which enabled hot or cold beverages to remain at optimal temperature until lunchtime, became a common component of the lunch box. In 1920, The American Thermos Bottle Co. produced “the first metal lunch box for kids” to aid selling their vacuum bottles. 

The first lunch box decorated with a famous licensed character was introduced in 1935. Produced by Geuder, Paeschke & Frey, it featured Mickey Mouse, and was a four-color lithographed oval tin, with a pull-out tray inside and a handle.

The first licensed character was The Hopalong Cassidy lunchbox, the first to feature a licensed character and set the trend for many future designs.

In 1950, Aladdin Industries created the first children’s lunch box based on a television show, Hopalong Cassidy. The Hopalong Cassidy lunch kit, or “Hoppy”, quickly became Aladdin’s cash cow. Debuting in time for back-to-school 1950, it would go on to sell 600,000 units in its first year alone, each at US$2.39. In 1953, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were featured on models introduced by American Thermos.

Over 450 decorated models quickly followed, and more than 120 million metal lunch boxes were sold between 1950 and 1970, often accompanied by a Thermos, initially made of metal and glass, and later plastic. Manufacturers grew to include ADCO Liberty, Kruger Manufacturing Company, Landers, Frary and Clark (Universal), Okay Industries, and a number of other producers through the 1980s.

The first use of plastics was the lunch box handle, but later spread to the entire box, with the first molded plastic boxes produced during the 1960s. Vinyl lunch boxes debuted in 1959. Check out these deals!

During the 1960s, the lunch box had few changes. The vacuum bottle included in them, however, steadily evolved during the course of the decade and into the 1970s. What was originally a steel vacuum bottle with glass liner, cork or rubber stopper, and bakelite cup became an all-plastic bottle, with insulated foam rather than vacuum. Aladdin produced glass liners into the 1970s, but they were soon replaced with plastic.

Beginning in Florida during the 1970s, with the lobbying of parents who claimed the metal boxes were being used as weapons in fights, many schools banned metal lunch boxes. One of the last metal lunchboxes to be widely produced was one with a design promoting Rambo: First Blood Part II. Health concerns also came to light in August 2002, when the Center for Environmental Health discovered that many popular vinyl lunch boxes contained dangerously high levels of lead. Many, though not all, were pulled from the shelves.

Today, lunch boxes are generally made of plastic, with foam insulation, and an aluminum/vinyl interior. As a result, they are usually much better at retaining their temperature but are less rigid/protective. 

Some lunch boxes, including those from the 1950s and 1960s, sometimes sell into the thousands of dollars. In 1999, a “1954 Superman lunch box, made by Adco Liberty” was “gaveled down for $11,500” (“the highest auction price ever paid for a lunch box”).

Top Sellers

Disney’s Mickey Mouse Lunchbox (1935): One of the earliest character-themed lunchboxes, a true collector’s item.

The Beatles Lunchbox (1965): Reflecting the peak of Beatlemania, this lunchbox is a sought-after collector’s item.

Star Wars Lunchbox (1977): A classic metal lunchbox featuring characters from the original Star Wars movie, highly collectible today.

Strawberry Shortcake Lunchbox (1980s): A popular design from the 80s, beloved by many children of that era – from a division of American Greetings based here in Cleveland.

Modern Bentgo Boxes (today): Current top sellers due to their practicality, durability, and kid-friendly designs. Get one here.