Princess Mary Gift Fund tin, 1914
- Title(s):
- Princess Mary Gift Fund tin.
- Published/Created:
- Great Britain, 1914.
- Physical Description:
- 1 tin : brass ; 85 x 130 x 34 mm
- Holdings:
- Rare Books and ManuscriptsD639.E8 P75 1914 FlatYale Center for British Art, Friends of British Art Fund[Request]
- Copyright Status:
- Copyright Not Evaluated
- Full Orbis Record:
- http://hdl.handle.net/10079/bibid/12427686
- Classification:
- Three-Dimensional Artifacts
- Notes:
- The Princess Mary Gift Fund tin was the result of a special "Christmas Fund" plan initiated by the daughter of King George V, HRH Princess Mary, whereby every soldier and sailor would receive a gift on the first Christmas of the war, in 1914. Each tin contained various items such as a pipe and tobacco products, pencil, notebook, postcards, a photograph of the Princess, spices, fruit lozenges, sugar candy, or chocolate. The contents varied according to the position, gender, and race of the intended recipient. Distribution was slow, and some did not receive their tins until 1920.
Described in: "Princess Mary Gift Fund 1914 Box and Contents," Imperial War Museums, http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/princess-mary-gift-fund-1914-box-and-contents (accessed April 8, 2015).
Condell, D. A gift for Christmas: the story of Princess Mary's Gift Fund, 1914, in IWM Review (No. 4 - 1989), p. 69-78
BAC: British Art Center copy includes a packet of tobacco, briar pipe (in two pieces), Christmas card, and photograph of Princess Mary. The recipient is not identified.
The rectangular tin has a hinged lid and is embossed on top with a profile of the Princess surrounded by a wreath. The letter M is embossed on either side of the wreath in cursive script. A decorative border around the lid contains the words "Imperium Britannicum" at the top and "Christmas 1914" at the bottom. The corners and sides contain the names of Britain's allies between decorations of flags, ships and weapons. - Subject Terms:
- Great Britain -- History, Military -- 20th century.Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood, 1897–1965.Tobacco tins -- Specimens.World War, 1914–1918.
- Form/Genre:
- Pipes (smoking equipment)
Tobacco (material)
Photographs.
Greeting cards.
Tins (containers) - Export:
- XML