Summary

This metal cake tin was sold in the 1930s by an unknown Australian manufacture to take advantage of the popularity of the champion race horse Phar Lap.

Physical Description

Circular metal tin with a removable lid. Central motif of lid shows a standing race horse with his head slightly tucked into his neck. His jockey wears the colours of Harry Telford, consisting of a red cap, red body and black and white hooped sleeves. Under the horse words appear in cursive gold lettering. The background is green, whilst the circumference edging is a decorative swirling gold colour.

Significance

This artefact communicates very effectively how entrepreneurs anticipated that Phar Lap's intense popularity, serviced by print, film and radio, made him a bankable sports personality. Mass produced articles were the perfect commercial complement to the widely accessible media hero. The use of Phar Lap on a cake tin suggests new levels of commercial exploitation associated with fame.

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