Pocket Watch (Anniversary Tin)
1850–1900
Medium
Tin
Dimensions
58.4 × 7.7 cm (23 × 3 in.)
Classification
watch
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
90920
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts the Americas collection, this Watch, housed in an "Anniversary Tin," dates to between 1850 and 1900. Measuring 58.4 × 7.7 cm (23 × 3 in.), its modest tin medium reflects the era's embrace of affordable, everyday materials during America's Industrial Revolution. Tinware became a staple in households, often brightly painted or embossed for decorative appeal, transforming utilitarian objects into cherished keepsakes. Pocket watches like this one were essential accessories for 19th-century gentlemen, symbolizing punctuality amid rapid urbanization an...