Bandbox, 1830-1840
THF160968 / Bandbox, 1830-1840
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Artifact Overview
In the early 1800s, Americans used bandboxes to store clothing, accessories, and other small items. Bandboxes were handy containers in the home or when traveling by stage, boat, or rail. Manufacturers covered these inexpensive pasteboard or wooden boxes with colorful papers. This bandbox's paper depicts New York City's Castle Garden -- the site of an early-1800s fort turned into an opera house and entertainment center for city residents.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Bandbox (Container)
Date Made
1830-1840
Place of Creation
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
30.1398.9
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Cardboard
Wallpaper
Paper (Fiber product)
Color
Green
Blue
Red
White (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 13.5 in
Width: 18.75 in
Length: 15.5 in
Keywords |
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Related Content
SetBandboxes
- 12 Artifacts
In the early 1800s, bandboxes stored clothing, hats, accessories, and other small items for a growing number of American travelers. Box makers covered their products with swatches of colorful wallpaper or papers with vivid images and scenes specifically made to decorate the outside of the box. Bandboxes were affordable and expressed the traveler's taste. Today, we appreciate them as markers of travel, style, and the lives of early Americans.