Butter box

This box was used for shipping butter. The leather strap and buckle secured the lid of the wooden outer box, which insulates a smaller metal container. The butter was packed in the metal container. A mailing label was slipped into the metal frame on top of the wooden lid.

The addresses on the label of this box show that it was shipped between Baltimore and Frederick, Maryland, a distance of approximately 50 miles. The box was then returned empty. The introduction of Parcel Post service in 1913 encouraged the sale of farm produce directly to urban consumers.

Museum ID: 1992.2002.10.1