Vintage 1950s OXO Cubes Advertising Tin – King George VI

This one dates nicely to the early/mid-1950s. The giveaway is the wording “By Appointment Purveyors of OXO to the Late King George VI”; a closely matching example is also catalogued as 1950s, and a museum collection records the same royal-warrant wording. Current comparable asking prices are generally around £22, although condition and the strength of the graphics vary considerably. it has excellent all-round advertising and that wonderfully authentic, well-used appearance.

Vintage 1950s OXO Cubes Advertising Tin – King George

VI

Displayed with other items illustration only not included

17 cm wide

13 cm depth

7 cm tall

A fantastic original 1950s OXO Cubes advertising tin, finished in that instantly recognisable bright OXO red with bold cream, white and black period graphics.

The lid carries the famous OXO Cubes branding together with the Royal Warrant wording:

“By Appointment – Purveyors of OXO to the Late King George VI.”

This wording helps date the tin to the years following the death of King George VI in 1952, making it a lovely piece of early post-war British kitchen and advertising history.

Originally designed to hold 12 × 12 OXO cubes, the tin is covered with wonderfully nostalgic advertising slogans including “For cooking and drinking”, “For meatier meals, perfect gravy and an appetising beverage” and instructions for using OXO in cooking, gravy and hot drinks.

The strong typography, large OXO logo and rich red colour make this a particularly decorative piece of vintage kitchenalia. It would look superb displayed in a traditional kitchen, pantry, café, shop display or amongst a collection of vintage advertising tins.

Maker & Brand History

OXO developed from the meat-extract business associated with German chemist Justus von Liebig. The OXO name was introduced at the end of the 19th century, with the familiar solid stock cube appearing in Britain in the early 20th century. OXO went on to become one of Britain's most recognisable food brands, helped by extensive advertising and its widespread use in British homes.

Today, original OXO tins are increasingly collected as examples of British food advertising and social history.

Condition

Good original vintage condition with plenty of genuine age and character. There are scratches, surface marks, rubbing, areas of paint loss and general wear throughout, particularly to the edges and advertising graphics. The interior also shows signs of previous use.

The wear has not been disguised or restored and gives the tin a particularly appealing authentic vintage appearance.

Please study the photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description.

Suggested Price: £18.00

A wonderfully evocative piece of 1950s British advertising – colourful, nostalgic and unmistakably OXO.For the maker history, OXO's own history traces the brand back to Liebig's meat-extract development and the introduction of the cube in the early 20th century; independent historical sources place the first OXO cubes around 1910.

I particularly like this one because the Royal Warrant plus the multiple advertising slogans give it more social-history interest than the plainer later OXO tins.