Souvenir tin - Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary (1910–1935)

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J.W. Lightbown & Sons

1935

Overview

Oval metal confectionary tin produced by the J.W. Lightbown & Sons company to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary (1910–1935).
The lithographed tin-plated tin features side-by-side sepia toned circular portraits of Queen Mary on the left and King George V on the right. Queen Mary is wearing her signature tiara and a multi-strand pearl choker, while King George V appears in profile, clad in formal military attire with a high collar.
A rich royal blue background runs diagonally from the lower left to the upper right, contrasted against an off-white/cream background on the lower half. This is all surrounded by a black border and a raised silver toned metal rim.
The portraits have a decorative border representing a stylised laurel wreath with ribbons. A floral motif which includes the English rose, Scottish thistle and Irish shamrock is positioned between the base of the two portraits.
The word 'Souvenir' with the date '1910-1935' below is printed in black text on the dark blue backgound at the centre top. It is quite hard to read due to the lack of contrast. The words 'Silver Jubilee' are printed in black font on the cream background directly below the portraits.
The lower section of the tin is painted blue and has the text 'Made by LIGHTBOWNS' of ACCRINGTON' in cream and black on one side and 'FIRST AID "GRIPS" PASTILLES' on the opposite side.
The underside of the tin is plain metal with no maker's marks.

Historical information

The Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary was celebrated on May 6, 1935, marking 25 years of the King's reign. It was the first-ever Silver Jubilee celebration for a British monarch, as previous rulers only celebrated jubilees at the 50-year mark.
The main celebration included a carriage procession through London to St Paul's Cathedral for a national Service of Thanksgiving, followed by an appearance by the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
May 6 1935, was declared a bank holiday filled with street parties, sporting events, and pageants across Britain and the dominions.
Towns and cities across Australia held patriotic gatherings, military parades, and special school assemblies, and churches of many denominations held thanksgiving services to honour the King and Queen.
A wide range of souvenirs were sold to commemorate the event. These included ceramics and pottery, medals and coins, textiles and paper goods, and decorative metalware and tins such as this example.

Lightbown's 'Grips' First Aid Pastilles were a famous vintage medicated throat lozenge and confectionery manufactured by J.W. Lightbown & Sons of Accrington, Lancashire, England.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW01102

Item type

Collectibles

Decorative Objects

Lithographs

Souvenirs

Themes

Food & Beverage

Social History

Material