Long before the Tin Man character danced in The Wizard of Oz, the profession of tinsmith was an essential one in urban and rural America.
Craftsmen who worked the metal made a wide range of useful household items, including food containers and dining wares, baking tins and cookie cutters, candle holders and lanterns, bathing tubs, toys and whimsical ornaments. Most of the antique tinware that survives was cherished and preserved because it had lively painting or surface decoration. This display of decorated tinware selected from the Winterthur Museum collection demonstrateds how such humble material might appeal to every taste and delight its users.