This display case celebrates the history and endurance of American lunch boxes. Reaching the height of their popularity at the dawn of the television era, lunch box sales became barometers for what was hip in popular culture at any point in time. Included in the display are more than 50 objects drawn from the Museum’s collection of children’s and workers illustrated metal lunch boxes and beverage containers dating from the 1890s through the 1980s. Which one is your favorite?
The website for this exhibition was retired in 2024 due to incompatibility with current web standards. A view of the previous home page can be seen below.
To view lunchboxes in our collections, browse our collection search.
