Bandbox with Cover c. 1939

Gilbert Sackerman made this bandbox with a cover, sometime between 1855 and 1995, using paint. Bandboxes, like this one, are usually made from thin wood or cardboard. Then they are covered with decorative paper. Looking at the image, the box is made of cardboard, which offers a lightweight structure perfect for its original purpose: storing collars, caps, and other light articles of dress. But rather than using paper, Sackerman chose to paint the exterior of the box. Painted in a naive style, Sackerman depicted Castle Garden, an entertainment complex located on the tip of Manhattan Island. It operated from the 1820s to the 1940s, and was one of the first large public spaces in New York. The choice of materials, making processes, and imagery are important here. This challenges the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, inviting us to consider the value and meaning of everyday objects, their decoration, and their connection to social life.