In country markets, general stores or candy shops—in days of yore—one would often find glass display containers such as the cracker jar pictured above. Made in the 1950’s, during the waning years of the Art Deco movement, this covered jar was made for Lance, a maker of snack foods: nuts, crackers and cookies. This jar, in particularly good condition (for its age), bears the Lance logo and has a heavy metal lid.
Lance, the company, was founded in North Carolina in 1913, when the founder (food broker Philip Lance) got stuck with 500 pounds of raw peanuts. Inspiration struck; he roasted the peanuts and sold them for five cents a bag. Two years later, a family member invented the cracker sandwich—filled with a spread of peanut butter. Since then, and to this day, the Lance company still produces packaged snack foods. Alas, the days of cool glass shop jars are now a thing of the past—except when you can find one, like the example above. Please call for further information.