Sale Title: Huntley and Palmers Biscuit Tins and Ephemera Auction and Reference Catalogue, 1868 to 1950
Printer: Cost (12 Softback (20 Casebound
Contents
Biscuit Tins Lot 1 - 191
Framed Material Lot 192 - 206
Ephemera Lot 207 - 242
Ceramics Lot 243 - 252
Foreword
This collection represents the finest and most comprehensive collection of Huntley and Palmers Biscuit Tins and Ephemera ever to come to auction. The superb quality of all their packaging is a tribute to their leading historic position in exporting biscuits all around the globe, and the eye-catching design skills of Huntley, Boorne and Stevens; in consequence, this collection has been formed from all over the world.
While the lithography of British toys can sometimes seem of feeble quality beside German counterparts, in the field of biscuit tin design and construction the British were pre-eminent, and no company rose to greater artistic heights than Huntley and Palmers.
Glossary Explanation
The evaluation of the condition of such ephemeral objects is highly subjective. Christie's South Kensington gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Stuart Cropper in the preparation of this scale, but emphasise that the gradings given are entirely our own opinion and draw the attention of potential buyers to our Standard Terms and Conditions on Page X.
Nevertheless, in keeping with our regular practice, a potential buyer should feel that this glossary errs on the side on caution. The overall 'feel' of the tin is taken into account and the numbering system refers to this overall impression, with specific mention made of notable defects that tend to affect tins, without necessarily demoting the whole tin by another grade. Where two hyphenated figures are indicated, '7-8/10' for example, then the condition of the tin is judged to fall between the two grades; these inbetween grades are particulary important in the Very Good to Near Mint area.
Typical defects that affect tins include rust, scratching, chipping, dents and gouges, fading, wear and tear and restoration; this collection has been formed with aim of exhibiting as few of these problems as possible. Even so, few tins escape the attention of rust entirely, and it can be found around solder joints or forming minute worm-like patterns beneath the lithographic ink. Such cases are not deemed to spoil the overall appearance of the tin, so are not highlighted unless plainly visible. Some degree of fading and discolouration is also to be expected, particularly with more fugitive colours and clear gold and silver areas. This is particularly true of the early transfer-printed tins where their age and survival rate has been taken into account to some degree. The effects of normal wear and tear have been itemised where appropriate.
All the tins in the collection have been carefully examined for any signs of retouching. In our opinion it is clear that in certain areas where lithographed tinplate sheet has been folded through a particularly acute angle in production, the original ink has flaked away and been retouched in the factory; the paint style is consistent on examples from various sources. These tins have not been specifically mentioned.
Overall, most of the collection is in remarkable condition, fine examples from an era when quality came first.
Glossary
Grade Definition Comment
10/10 Mint Tins with no visible defects or damage; so rare as to be hardly ever seen.
9/10 Near Mint Tins will have some scratches or chips that are relatively insignificant and do not detract from the overall appearance in any way. This is the highest grade usually seen.
8/10 Very Good Tins will have some minor scratches or wear, may have some slight rust staining, but will not have any rusty metal visible. They may be slightly faded but not to the point where this detracts from the overall appearance; there will be no significant dents, gouging or any major part missing.
7/10 Good Tins may exhibit all the above condition defects to a larger extent, but would not affect the greater part of the tin. Any major defect would be mentioned separately, such as a large dent or bent foot.
6/10 Fair Tins may exhibit all the above condition defects, but scratching may be extensive and rust visible but not causing holes. Any major defects would be mentioned. The lowest generally acceptable condition.
5/10 Poor 5/10 and below - acceptable only in cases of extreme rarity, in the unlikely event of another example appearing, or as spare parts.
4/10 Poor
3/10 Very Poor
2/10 Very Poor
1/10 Very Poor
Approximate shapes of tins not present are given, where known; most are self-explanatory, but 'caddy' is used to describe a tin that is generally of tall and narrow form
Literature Key
Hor or H Decorated Biscuit Tins, Peter Hornsby, Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1984
Fra or F British Biscuit Tins 1868-1939, M J Franklin, New Cavendish Books, 1979
V&A British Biscuit Tins, M J Franklin, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1984
Ben George
Details
Ben George