I've had my red Nabisco Mayflower cooky tin for so long that I don't remember when I got it or if it had cookies in it to begin with. The box says the cooky weight is three pounds. It measures 9" x 8 1/2" x 4" high. I've used it for storing Ziploc'ed cookies, bagged breads, layered cupcakes, and layered cereal blocks. These boxes are really common--many sold on eBay and Etsy! However, history of the box and chronological ties to Nabisco were pretty well non-existent.
Recently, I took a closer look at the box, recorded and pic'ed it, noted images and text. The video shows the box designs--the lid and two vertical designs.
Pondering the Tin's Graphics
The images convey loads of visual information with very little text. The lid's title is "Voyage of the Mayflower". The front and back's title is "The Early Journeys" and includes a sister ship, the Speedwell. The sides' title is "The Journey", which more emphasizes the Mayflower.
Illustrations display routes of the two ships--Speedwell's shown as black dots and arrowheads, and Mayflower's shown as white lines and arrowheads. Additional images include symbols that might indicate perceived sailing conditions during the journeys. The orientation of the ships and sails convey direction.
The Mayflower's lid rendering is impressive for details of shaded sails and ship body. One of the masts has the City of London flag, the other having the Union Jack. "Flags of the Mayflower" provides good info about the flags and how the Union Jack design came about. The site also shows a replica of the Mayflower.
Closer Looks at the Symbols Near the Mayflower and Speedwell
Mysterious outlined symbols near the ships might convey overall sailing conditions of the journey. Look for cherubs blowing wind, a chimeric figure (bird-headed fish) with trident, and friendly looking fish. One cherub looked to be blowing gently, the other a little more gustily. Google image search for "cherubs blowing wind" yield a few images; Google results for "All" didn't shed light. As for the bird-headed fish, navigate to "What exactly is this? Odd fish with a BIRD-shaped head stuns the internet" for the fish from a few years ago. The box's hybrid animal and trident might symbolize Poseidon. Who knows?
Poking into Mayflower History
Poking into Mayflower history for the cooky tin's info conveyance was eye-opening. I never knew about the Speedwell and association with the Mayflower. I didn't know that the Pilgrims lived in Holland for 12 years before leaving for the New World from England to the New World. Some resources:
- "The Mayflower Story"
- "The Pilgrims’ Miserable Journey Aboard the Mayflower"
- "The Pilgrims Before Plymouth"
- "Take a Virtual Tour of the Mayflower"
Nabisco and Mayflower
The cooky tin was made by Nabisco in England for Nabisco in New York. Google search results yielded no information that I considered useful. About all I could infer is that the tin's zip code reference marked the year at no earlier than 1963. "ZIP Code Introduced" states "introduced July 1, 1963, as part of a larger Postal Service Nationwide Improved Mail Service (NIMS) plan to improve the speed of mail delivery."
Hmmm, where might that Nabisco site be? "The Factory That Oreos Built" and "National Biscuit Company/ Chelsea Market" provide history of the old NY Nabisco factory and transition to tourist destination.
Lightly Looking at Nabisco Then and Now
Nabisco has a history dating back to 1898. It has belonged to various companies, most recently, Mondelēz, which was formerly named Kraft. "Nabisco" provides a short history from establishment to association with Kraft foods. If you want to know more about Nabisco currently, Google results yield articles about Nabisco's outsourcing of various snacks to Mexico. One most current event is the planned (now-off) demolition of its Fair Lawn, NJ plant.
Mayflower-associated Hmmms
From "mayflower plant"—"Crataegus monogyna (family Rosaceae), a species of hawthorn, is commonly known as mayflower or May flower in England."
From "Mayflower Transit":
Mayflower was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1927 by Conrad M. Gentry and Don F. Kenworthy. In March 1995, it was acquired by UniGroup, a transportation and relocation services company with headquarters in suburban St. Louis, Missouri.
From "What May flowers bring":
Jack: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?Harry: Tell me.
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