Bandbox 1940

Dorothy Dwin painted this bandbox using watercolor, with dimensions of approximately 30.6 x 41 cm. The box is made from cardboard, covered in paper, then ornamented with printed designs and hand-painted details. Bandboxes like these were once common accessories, useful for storing collars, caps, and other light articles of dress. What’s interesting is the combination of industrial and manual processes. The paper that covers the box would have been printed in bulk, likely with a repeating pattern, and then these papers were carefully applied to the box, with extra details painted freehand. We see that on the flowers, for example. This kind of ‘value-added’ production, where cheap substrates are upgraded through handcraft, was a common feature of the 19th century economy, and reflects the blurring lines between mechanized industry and skilled labor. It’s a humble object, but its making tells a much bigger story.