Food canisters are nearly as old as society itself. The successful storage of food marked an important turning-point in mankind's development. Once food could be stored for future consumption, people could settle-down and form communities with some measure of stability. Prior to this, people wandered—hunting and gathering—and were compelled to consume that food (or waste it) before moving-on.
The earliest methods of food storage were drying it in the sun or cooling it in a cold spot (a hole in the ground, a cave, or a cool body of water). In time, food storage vessels were made out of ceramic or wood followed by glass and plastic. Food storage techniques gave families a measure of confidence that they would eat—even on those days when they did not slay a mammoth or pick berries in a woods. In time, the salting and pickling of foods were also developed which allowed food to be eaten later.
These four food canisters, made in England in the Sixties or Seventies, have a soft-square shape which makes them convenient to snuggle-together, not wasting much counter space. The hip, orange lids (some variety of plastic, possibly Bakelite) still have their original "gaskets" on the interior (though those gaskets have dried a bit over the decades). Such a quartet of canisters would make a strong impact in your Mid-Century kitchen—all while keeping your dry good supplies fresh and at-hand. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
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