Bandbox c. 1939

Gilbert Sackerman painted this bandbox, a light, cylindrical cardboard box, with watercolor. Bandboxes were historically used for storing millinery items, like hats, caps, and bonnets, to protect them from dust and damage. Notice how the artist depicted the box with decorative paper, lace and floral prints, conveying the box’s original decorative aesthetic. Boxes such as these were often made in factories using wood pulp or paperboard, reflecting the rise of industrial production. In the early 19th century, bandboxes represented both functionality and a form of early consumerism, and they became a common household item, showing the availability of manufactured goods for a growing middle class. Looking closely at the materials and decoration of this bandbox through the lens of its history gives it a new social significance, reminding us that even everyday objects can tell stories about shifting cultural landscapes and the democratization of goods.