Collecting snuff boxes is a wonderful hobby as these fascinating and useful objects have an interesting history. At one time, these small decorative boxes were an indispensable fashion accessory for gentlemen, dandies, and aristocrats from the 1700s to the mid 1800s.
Silversmiths, jewelers and enamelers went to great lengths to make fine examples of these jewel-like yet utilitarian objects. Gentlemen of Quality all possessed collections of snuff boxes, some of which were very ornate and had golden frames encrusted with diamonds and other precious stones. Some, of course, were plain and made for a less well-to-do clientèle.
Besides silver and gold, one also finds boxes made of tortoise shell, mother of pearl, pewter or wood.
The lids were often decorated with portraits, vignettes of various scenes and even miniature copies of paintings by Old Masters.
Snuff taking and snuff boxes remained popular among diplomats even after the practice had ceased to be popular in general. Heads of State kept the practice of giving snuff boxes as gifts to visiting diplomats as a form of honorific for many years.
For example, at the coronation of George IV of England, the court jewelers, Rundell and Bridge, were paid approximately $40,000 in today’s value for snuff-boxes given as gifts to foreign ministers.
Snuff boxes today are collected by people from all walks of life and are avidly sought by collectors and museums.
The History of Snuff
The Natives of the Americas cultivated and used tobacco long before it came to Europe. However, the Indians consumed their tobacco as snuff instead of smoking it.
On his second journey to America (1494-96), Christopher Columbus noticed how the Indian of Haiti used this mysterious powder and brought some of this tobacco in powder form back to Europe.
At first, snuff became popular among the Spanish and French aristocracy. During his exile in France, King Charles II discovered snuff. Upon his return to England, he introduced it to the English aristocracy and snuff soon became popular among them as well.
Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, had such a passion for snuff that she soon earned the nickname “Snuffy Charlotte.” It was in 1702 that snuff first reached the general population. The English navy had captured a number of Spanish ships and the sailors were partially paid with snuff seized from these ships. Shortly after their return to England, the sailors began to introduce snuff to the ports and coastal towns of England.
Into the 19th Century, the production of snuff was greater than the production of tobacco for smoking or chewing. Everyone was using snuff. The poet Alexander Pope used it; Charles Darwin used it; even the Duke of Wellington used it. Lord Nelson supplied himself with large quantities of snuff before he set sail with his combat ships and Napoleon was said to have used over 7 pounds of snuff a month. In addition, physicians prescribed snuff as a cure for headaches, sleeplessness, toothaches, coughs and colds.
During the 20th Century, snuff was pushed into the background by cigarettes and cigars. However, during the last few years, snuff use has been experiencing a revival - like every good lifestyle. Today, snuff is once again trendy. This may have to do with the negative attention that smoking has received over the past few years.