A Century of Advertising Toothpaste Pot Lids (1830-1930)

During the Victorian and Edwardian period, ceramic pots sealed with a transferred advertising lid were used by retailers in many English-speaking countries to package toothpastes and toothpowders. These pots, retrieved from former rubbish tips, have become highly collectable due to their variety and graphical appeal, as well as their historical significance. They clearly show the creativity and inventiveness of the skilled engravers who etched the copper plates to produce the transfers so these containers could be manufactured in large numbers. The resultant designs speak for themselves and include the development of new typefaces and intricately engraved pictorial scenes, comparable in quality to any other form of transfer printed ware. They also highlight the huge range of toothpaste flavors that were available just over a century ago. Cherry and areca nut were common but other exotic sounding flavors such as tomato, orange and carbolic acid were offered to entice a growing middle-class population. Professional dentistry standards were still developing, and these lids provide an insight to the pioneering marketing techniques to market what today is an everyday item.