They were banned in schools in the 1970s after parents complained they were used as weapons and caused serious head injuries. Their history is here from the first Hopalong Cassidy box, to the the last of Rambo Sylvester Stallone model.
I had a red Stewart plaid one in third grade that I remember, complete with a thermos. There were no ice packs included, ever.
The Antique Trader attributes the popularity of metal lunchboxes to television.
Take a tour of the museum with this YouTube video if you can’t get to Columbus Georgia.
Mr Woodall has written an encyclopedia shown below
Heavens, no, I don’t remember these. A playground weapon? Rather attractive though.
I’d like to see all 3,000 in that museum.
😗🩵
Yup, I had a Roy Rogers and Dale Evans one. Loved it! My brother had a Lone Ranger one. I don’t recall they were ever banned in Canada, I also don’t recall anyone using them as a weapon.
They sound like collectors items for sure. Wow! I don’t remember anyone getting whacked in the head with one either. Thanks Darlene
Paper bag for me.
Yes. I always had a Hopalong Cassidy one. I remember always breaking the thermoses.
The thermoses were made of glass not plastic. This tells my age.
How I wanted a metal lunchbox when I was little! My grandmother packed my lunch in a brown paper bag and I was (literally) the only one in my class without a lunchbox. These things mean a lot when you are 6. But now when I see them in flea markets, they bring me sweet nostalgia.
No metal lunchbox for me as I always ate the school lunches, which were mostly really good (except for hamburger gravy).
I can’t really envision hamburger gravy. Was it served on toast?
I bet is was served on mashed potatoes like at my school.
Yes….I had a Roy Rogers. It was great. We had a bunch from our kids. We kept them for years then cleaned out our basement. I think we gave them to somebody who collected them.
No, we had free lunch at school. But these are interesting