At first glance this appears to be a fine collection of beautifully bound books with marbled paper edges, held together with a leather strap. The books are all classics of literature, suggesting someone who is well read. . . .
But the books are actually a box, meant to feed the body, not the mind!
The box is a biscuit tin by the English company of Huntley & Palmers, In 1822 in Reading, Joseph Huntley opened a small bakery and confectionary. The shop was opposite a coach stop and passengers often sought biscuits (what we in the United States would call cookies) to nibble on their journey. To help the biscuits survive the rough jostling of the coaches, Huntley came up with the innovation of packaging the biscuits in a metal or tin box. Huntley passed on the business to his son, who in 1841 was joined by George Palmer. The firm thrived and by 1900 was the world's largest maker of biscuits, producing over 400 different varieties. They exported biscuits throughout the world, securely packed in decorative tins. In fact, the company's imaginative, colorful, and collectible biscuit tins significantly contributed to the firm's popularity and success.
In 1900, Huntley & Palmers introduced "Library," a biscuit tin in the shape of eight books held together with a buckled strap. The book tin was so popular that the company created 10 versions, each with a different set of books, through 1924. We think this tin may date from 1904.
All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!
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