Donkin’s tin can
The early canister of tinned iron plate that kept food preserved for years.
Bryan Donkin bought the rights to make cans after Nicolas Appert’s method of keeping food by heating it in a sealed container. He used tinned iron plate instead of glass, which was fragile.
The cans were supplied to the Royal Navy and used by explorers. They were opened with a hammer and chisel because the plate was so thick.
Materials: Tinned iron plate, soldered seams
Manufacture: Made by Bryan Donkin, John Hall and John Gamble in Bermondsey, London, from 1812.
The coarse, soldered seams.
The canister of thick, tinned plate.
The small hole in the lid that was soldered shut.