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Sand pails: collectible tin sand pails offer a revue of the nation's history, charted by children - collecting - Brief Article

In the mid-nineteenth century, a prosperous economy gave families extra spending money and the time to enjoy it. Outings to the beach became popular indulgences. Children quickly took to the sea--even in their heavy woolen bathing suits--and toy companies produced pails for playing in the sand.

For about a century, the designs of these tin pails reflected societal changes: Images of transportation paralleled the Industrial Revolution. Patriotic motifs revealed America's pride, particularly during and after the World Wars. Cartoon characters echoed new media. Early on, artists painstakingly rendered motifs or scenes by hand. Later, lithographing was more efficient for mass production

The following pages contain just a sampling of colorful pails to collect.

Patriotic

Patriotic themes were always a favorite subject, particularly during and after the World Wars. Also, they were common because the Fourth of July was peak beach time for families. The red pail depicts an Independence Day children's parade and reads, "Hooray for the Red, White, and Blue."

Whimsical and imaginative, circus illustrations were especially appealing to children and, as such, were oft-used decorations. Subtleties in a pail's construction, such as the gold button where the handle attaches to the green pail, can reveal its maker and age. . . . . . read more