Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful example of a ‘named’ M1910 “Meat Tin” mess kit. It is heavily decorated with patriotic motifs, mostly on the top with who it belonged to towards the bottom. The writing states that he was with the 357th Machine Gun Company, 90th Infantry Division, making this a wonderful research opportunity.

Trench art is any decorative item made by soldiers, prisoners of war, or civilians where the manufacture is directly linked to armed conflict or its consequences.

It offers an insight not only to their feelings and emotions about the war, but also their surroundings and the materials they had available to them.

Not limited to the World Wars, the history of trench art spans conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to the present day. Although the practice flourished during World War I, the term 'trench art' is also used to describe souvenirs manufactured by service personnel during World War II. Some items manufactured by soldiers, prisoners of war or civilians during earlier conflicts have been retrospectively described as trench art.

The 1909 Infantry Board recommended a new “meat can” mess kit that became standard issue in 1910. The 1910 mess kit was similar to previous models but larger, 8 ½” long by 6 ¾” wide by approximately 1 ½” deep and was made of aluminum. Like the earlier covers, which doubled as a plate, it fit into the top of the “frying pan” portion and was secured by a folding galvanized iron handle.

Early in 1918 the American Expeditionary Force reported that the 1910 pattern top plate was too shallow and recommended a deeper configuration. A new mess kit with a lid one half inch deeper, and an appropriately corresponding folding handle quickly went into production as the model 1918.

Prior to 1918, the M1910 meat can was manufactured exclusively by Rock Island Arsenal. Known manufacturers for the M1910 and M1918 meat cans during WWI included: Aluminum Company of America, Landers, Frary & Clark, The J.W. Brown Manufacturing Co.. Wheeling Stamping Co, Edmund & Jones Co and Rock Island Arsenal. This example is stamped on the folding handle with S.A. / 1918.

A welcomed addition into any trench art collection! Comes more than ready for further research and display.