Vintage Military Green Steel Filing Index Box Industrial Storage c.1950s

Vintage Military Green Steel Filing / Index Box – Mid 20th Century

21 cm wide

14 cm tall

13 cm depth

A wonderfully utilitarian vintage steel storage box, finished in its original olive/military green paint and dating, I would suggest, from around the 1940s–1960s.

Made from sturdy pressed steel, the box has a hinged lift-up lid, a folding wire carrying handle to the front and an integral card or label holder, originally allowing the contents to be quickly identified. There is also a small impressed manufacturer's/device mark beside the label holder, although it is not sufficiently clear for us to confidently attribute it to a particular maker.

The combination of olive-drab paint, robust construction and no-nonsense fittings gives it a distinctly military, government stores or industrial records-office appearance. It may originally have been used for filing cards, records, documents or small equipment rather than as an ammunition box.

Today it makes a cracking piece of practical vintage storage. It would sit particularly well in an industrial-style office, workshop, study or vintage interior and could be used for paperwork, photographs, craft supplies, tools or simply as a decorative piece of original utilitarian design.

The box retains plenty of genuine character, with scratches, paint losses, rubbing, small areas of surface corrosion and general knocks and marks accumulated through years of use. We haven't attempted to repaint or heavily restore it; the aged finish is very much part of its appeal. The lid opens as intended and the carrying handle remains in place.

Period: Circa 1940s–1960s

Material: Painted steel

Colour: Olive / military green

Features: Hinged lid, folding front handle and label holder

Condition: Good vintage condition with considerable age-related cosmetic wear and patination as shown in the photographs.

The original green finish, label frame and folding handle give it more decorative appeal than a completely plain workshop box.

Vintage Military Green Steel Filing Index Box Industrial Storage c.1950s