For generations, the lunch containers many of
us have hauled to school and work have reflected American culture.
No meal has received more cultural attention to its transport than
our lunch. Of all the bags, boxes, trays, cans, and cartons carried
over the past century, the most message-laden is the child's metal
lunch box. This selection of boxes and their drink containers from
the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American
History explores that colorful heritage.
This small exhibition is located in the Museum's
lower level, in the Stars and Stripes Cafe. The display
includes approximately 75 illustrated metal lunch boxes and beverage
containers dating from the 1890s through the 1980s. This Web site
offers a sampling of these objects.
Taking America to Lunch is made possible
by Thermos.
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