Vintage Blue & Yellow Floral Metal Recipe Box by Ohio Art Co circa 1950s-1960s
{HISTORY}
An essential worker, a permanent staple, and a beloved member of the kitchen crew, the inspiration and the creativity, not to mention the delicious meals that poured forth from a vintage recipe box like this one, knew no bounds.
A fixture in the kitchen of any organized household, the recipe box kept track of family favorites, of new inspirations waiting to be tried, and of comfort foods that settled the day and soothed the spirit. This metal one was made by Ohio Art Co in Bryan, Ohio, between the 1950s and the 1960s.
Back then, recipe boxes came in all sorts of designs, but most retained the same, uniform 5.25" inches x 3" inches size in order to accommodate 3x5 recipe cards. They were not an expensive tool, usually between $0.80-$1.00 in price during the mid-20th century, but they were more than just a mere box sitting on a counter. They were muses that held magic and memories inside.
Here lived Aunt Edna's Guacamole Salad, Mom's Macaroni, Great Grandma's Cranberry Pie, the stuffed eggplant recipe from the Italian restaurant down the street, the tea sandwich combinations recommended by the Times, the next-door neighbor's chocolate cherry layer cake, and the garden club's Chicken Kiev for 50. These boxes, holding these recipes gave character to the kitchen and context to the cooking.
Featuring a pink, yellow, blue, and green color palette of florals and ric-rac style stripes, this specfic metal recipe box has seen its fair share of kitchen joys. We know that because of its chippy paint and fading font - a charmer that has seen generations of recipes come and go. And that very aesthetic, authentically accumulated across 70 years of culinary endeavors, is what makes it a true delight of an heirloom.
Ohio Art Company knows quite a bit about longevity and creativity, too. What started out as a metal picture frame manufacturer in 1908 evolved into a toy manufacturer in the 1930s, a metal supplier during WWII, a can and jar lid manufacturer in the late 20th century, and a metal lithography designer into the 21st century. In the 1950s, when this box was made, Ohio Art was also making one of its most popular toys, the Etch-A-Sketch.
Still in operation today, and still located in Bryan, Ohio, the Ohio Art Company continues its longstanding tradition of creating quality products that withstand the test of time. Just like your favorite recipe and the box that holds it.
{SPECIAL FEATURES}
- Metal box with hinged lid
- Colors include lemon yellow, sky blue, avocado green, pale pink, bubblegum, and pale yellow
- Stamped on bottom with maker's mar
{CONDITION}
In well-loved vintage condition, this box features all the hallmarks of a treasured kitchen helper. Light scratches, chippy paint, mild fading, and some light rust spots give it authentic character. The hinged lid opens and closes smoothly and securely. The bottom of the box contains rust marks. The interior of the box is clean and bright, but it contains some light scuffing on the bottom, and there is some paint flaking on the exterior top and sides. Please see photos.
{SIZE}
Measures 5.25" inches (length) x 3" inches (width) x 3.75" inches (height) and weighs 7 oz.
{HISTORY}
An essential worker, a permanent staple, and a beloved member of the kitchen crew, the inspiration and the creativity, not to mention the delicious meals that poured forth from a vintage recipe box like this one, knew no bounds.
A fixture in the kitchen of any organized household, the recipe box kept track of family favorites, of new inspirations waiting to be tried, and of comfort foods that settled the day and soothed the spirit. This metal one was made by Ohio Art Co in Bryan, Ohio, between the 1950s and the 1960s.
Back then, recipe boxes came in all sorts of designs, but most retained the same, uniform 5.25" inches x 3" inches size in order to accommodate 3x5 recipe cards. They were not an expensive tool, usually between $0.80-$1.00 in price during the mid-20th century, but they were more than just a mere box sitting on a counter. They were muses that held magic and memories inside.
Here lived Aunt Edna's Guacamole Salad, Mom's Macaroni, Great Grandma's Cranberry Pie, the stuffed eggplant recipe from the Italian restaurant down the street, the tea sandwich combinations recommended by the Times, the next-door neighbor's chocolate cherry layer cake, and the garden club's Chicken Kiev for 50. These boxes, holding these recipes gave character to the kitchen and context to the cooking.
Featuring a pink, yellow, blue, and green color palette of florals and ric-rac style stripes, this specfic metal recipe box has seen its fair share of kitchen joys. We know that because of its chippy paint and fading font - a charmer that has seen generations of recipes come and go. And that very aesthetic, authentically accumulated across 70 years of culinary endeavors, is what makes it a true delight of an heirloom.
Ohio Art Company knows quite a bit about longevity and creativity, too. What started out as a metal picture frame manufacturer in 1908 evolved into a toy manufacturer in the 1930s, a metal supplier during WWII, a can and jar lid manufacturer in the late 20th century, and a metal lithography designer into the 21st century. In the 1950s, when this box was made, Ohio Art was also making one of its most popular toys, the Etch-A-Sketch.
Still in operation today, and still located in Bryan, Ohio, the Ohio Art Company continues its longstanding tradition of creating quality products that withstand the test of time. Just like your favorite recipe and the box that holds it.
{SPECIAL FEATURES}
- Metal box with hinged lid
- Colors include lemon yellow, sky blue, avocado green, pale pink, bubblegum, and pale yellow
- Stamped on bottom with maker's mar
{CONDITION}
In well-loved vintage condition, this box features all the hallmarks of a treasured kitchen helper. Light scratches, chippy paint, mild fading, and some light rust spots give it authentic character. The hinged lid opens and closes smoothly and securely. The bottom of the box contains rust marks. The interior of the box is clean and bright, but it contains some light scuffing on the bottom, and there is some paint flaking on the exterior top and sides. Please see photos.
{SIZE}
Measures 5.25" inches (length) x 3" inches (width) x 3.75" inches (height) and weighs 7 oz.
Description
{HISTORY}
An essential worker, a permanent staple, and a beloved member of the kitchen crew, the inspiration and the creativity, not to mention the delicious meals that poured forth from a vintage recipe box like this one, knew no bounds.
A fixture in the kitchen of any organized household, the recipe box kept track of family favorites, of new inspirations waiting to be tried, and of comfort foods that settled the day and soothed the spirit. This metal one was made by Ohio Art Co in Bryan, Ohio, between the 1950s and the 1960s.
Back then, recipe boxes came in all sorts of designs, but most retained the same, uniform 5.25" inches x 3" inches size in order to accommodate 3x5 recipe cards. They were not an expensive tool, usually between $0.80-$1.00 in price during the mid-20th century, but they were more than just a mere box sitting on a counter. They were muses that held magic and memories inside.
Here lived Aunt Edna's Guacamole Salad, Mom's Macaroni, Great Grandma's Cranberry Pie, the stuffed eggplant recipe from the Italian restaurant down the street, the tea sandwich combinations recommended by the Times, the next-door neighbor's chocolate cherry layer cake, and the garden club's Chicken Kiev for 50. These boxes, holding these recipes gave character to the kitchen and context to the cooking.
Featuring a pink, yellow, blue, and green color palette of florals and ric-rac style stripes, this specfic metal recipe box has seen its fair share of kitchen joys. We know that because of its chippy paint and fading font - a charmer that has seen generations of recipes come and go. And that very aesthetic, authentically accumulated across 70 years of culinary endeavors, is what makes it a true delight of an heirloom.
Ohio Art Company knows quite a bit about longevity and creativity, too. What started out as a metal picture frame manufacturer in 1908 evolved into a toy manufacturer in the 1930s, a metal supplier during WWII, a can and jar lid manufacturer in the late 20th century, and a metal lithography designer into the 21st century. In the 1950s, when this box was made, Ohio Art was also making one of its most popular toys, the Etch-A-Sketch.
Still in operation today, and still located in Bryan, Ohio, the Ohio Art Company continues its longstanding tradition of creating quality products that withstand the test of time. Just like your favorite recipe and the box that holds it.
{SPECIAL FEATURES}
- Metal box with hinged lid
- Colors include lemon yellow, sky blue, avocado green, pale pink, bubblegum, and pale yellow
- Stamped on bottom with maker's mar
{CONDITION}
In well-loved vintage condition, this box features all the hallmarks of a treasured kitchen helper. Light scratches, chippy paint, mild fading, and some light rust spots give it authentic character. The hinged lid opens and closes smoothly and securely. The bottom of the box contains rust marks. The interior of the box is clean and bright, but it contains some light scuffing on the bottom, and there is some paint flaking on the exterior top and sides. Please see photos.
{SIZE}
Measures 5.25" inches (length) x 3" inches (width) x 3.75" inches (height) and weighs 7 oz.
