08/31/2026
We’re excited to share this adorable and quirky tin box (1978.40.155 Gift of Dr. Lyndon and Mrs. Ruth Fitch) that we unpacked during the Collections Move as Artifact of the Week. We were amused and delighted to discover what appears to be a visual representation of the nursery rhyme “This Little Piggy” on the lid. Tiny lettering beneath the illustration reads: SOMER BROS. METAL BOXES BROOKLYN, NY, PAT APR 29, 1879, dating the box to 1879.
Eager to learn more, our research revealed that the Somer Brothers Tinware Factory building (later American Can Company) in Brooklyn, New York has been designated a historically significant landmark by the NYC Landmarks and Preservation Commission. Not only does the building exhibit unique architectural and cultural characteristics, but it also helps tell a fascinating story of American manufacturing and innovation.
The factory was built in 1884 for Somers Brothers (Daniel, Guy, and Joseph), who were pioneers in the tinplate industry. At the time, tinplate vessels were essential for storing, producing, and distributing a wide range of products, long before the use of aluminum cans and plastic Tupperware containers. In 1878, Daniel Somers invented new lithographic techniques to print images directly on tinplate sheets and equipment to shape those sheets into containers. As a result, their company was one of the first to create formed, printed boxes like the one pictured rather than relying on printed paper labels.
Who knew such a unique little box could hold so much history? This tin box was exhibited in Victoriana, May – September 2019.
