Antique biscuit tin collection to hit the sweet spot at auction
THEY are a quintessentially British creation that in their heyday, were as as highly valued as the products they contained.
Biscuit tins were created, in part, to reduce the effort of shopkeepers having to individually wrap biscuits for customers, with the tins burgeoning in popularity in the Victorian era and designs growing ever more intricate.
A popular item to collect, one of the UK’S largest-ever auctions of antique biscuit tins will take place in Scotland this week.
Going under the hammer in Glasgow, the Lewis Collection features 293 biscuit tins amassed over a 34-year period from 1980 to 2014. It is expected to fetch as much as £10,000 when it goes on auction at Mctear’s tomorrow.
The biscuit tins are being sold by Sharon Lewis, the daughter of the original collector D.B. “Barrie” Lewis who spent a lifetime scouring antique shops across the UK to find the most unusual and rare containers.
Ranging from late 19th-century tins to mid-20th century items, some of the individual lots vary from a few pounds to up to £800. The collection tins come in many shapes, including aeroplanes, trains, and tractors sitting alongside stagecoaches, books, and even a violin case.
In 2001 Barrie bequeathed the collection to his daughter and, upon his death in 2022, she moved the tins from the Midlands to her home East Lothian.
Commenting on the forthcoming auction, Sharon Lewis, said: “Dad was involved in the biscuit and cake business his entire life, but only started collecting tins after I bought him one for his birthday in the 1980s.
“It became his passion and when he moved house, he even created The Tin Room to house the collection.
“He had lots of favourites, but he had a particular soft spot for the Ben
George tin from 1868 – the oldest in his collection – and the 1920 golden aeroplane.
“We recently moved to a smaller house and unfortunately don’t have the space to display all the tins, and we don’t want to store them out of sight in the loft.
“They were made to be viewed, and I think it is only right that other biscuit tin collectors and enthusiasts have an opportunity to admire and enjoy them as much as my family has.”
In the 19th century, a series of events seemed to work in tandem to bring about the dawn of the biscuit tin, as we know it today.
In 1861 the Licensed Grocer’s Act meant grocery items could be packaged and sold individually, biscuits included.
Later in the 1860s came the innovation of offset lithography, which allowed vibrant and ornate patterns and designs to be printed directly onto tinplate.
Mctear’s managing director, Brian Clements, added: “This is a quite remarkable collection that tells a detailed story of the origin and history of the quintessentially British biscuit tin.
“Barrie Lewis worked tirelessly to build his collection, which includes some of the finest tins to ever come to auction.
“We are already seeing considerable interest and I have no doubt this will continue to build in the lead up to the auction.”
The Lewis Collection will go to auction at Mctear’s on August 28.
They were made to be viewed