What do I have???

[Paul Olig]

Hello to all, I would like to have any information on this film canister... I am an amateur metal detector and I dug several of these up on the site of an old restaurant here in Emerson, Ia.... The letters are MK... the tops are plain with no markings... While I have searched the internet with no luck... I'm appealing to you shutterbugs for information...

Manufacturer, years made from when to when? etc.

Thanks in advance for your assistance...
Paul Olig
Emerson, Ia

 

[gone]

What makes you think it's a film canister?

 

[AgX]

From that one picture it really is hard to tell whether it is a film cannister at all.

But there had been quite some different kinds of cannisters. But so far the only ones I know of that were embossed at the top were by Leitz.
Furthermore the letters "MK" do not ring any bell at me.

 

[summicron1]

could be the can that a roll of film, or perhaps a 35mm film cannister, would be in when sold, but as others note, it is hard to say.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

The canisters were different for 35 mm and 120 film. The 35mm ones usually had a screw on lid whereas those for 120 just slid on. Never before saw one embossed on the end. The Agfa ones that I have are embossed on the side.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

There was a German film manufacturer Mimosa AG although they used different lettering in their logo. Perhaps MK stands for Mimosa Kamera. Mimosa films were popular in the 1920's to 1930's here in the US. During the same time period it was popular for a photographer to roam about taking pictures of the diners. He would leave his card if anyone was interested in purchasing a photograph. Perhaps they were discarded by such a photographer.

 

[AgX]

The canisters were different for 35 mm and 120 film. The 35mm ones usually had a screw on lid whereas those for 120 just slid on.

There were rolfilm cannister with push-on and with screw-on caps

 

[Gerald C Koch]

There were rolfilm cannister with push-on and with screw-on caps

Interesting I have never seen a roll film canister with a screw caps from a film manufacturer. I have several metal ones with screw caps but they are from supply houses. They are of machined aluminum and rather expensive. There are also plastic ones with pop-off lids.

 

[Paul Olig]

Just a couple more photos and some film canister measurements... wall thickness = 0.015 overall length = 1.475 (best estimate) diameter = 1.043 (best estimate)... the pictured "canister" is the least damaged one I've found, all others are completely flattened or torn up (lawn mower)... using the tops for reference, there are pix of film canister tops online...

 

[BAC1967]

For reference the photo below are all Kodak cans for 35mm film. I also have similar ones that are not painted. They have the same knurling on the lid that yours have in the above photos. I also have some for 35mm, 120 and 620 film with slip on lids that are not painted but none of them have the same markings as yours. The ones I have are between 1-3/4" and 1-15/16" tall and about 1-1/4" diameter.

Why are you convinced they are for film? They could have been for pills, matches, bobby pins, etc.

Kodak 35mm Film Cans by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

 

[Arvee]

Let's see...found at the site of an old restaurant...looks like the tops for champagne bottles. Tried to find a brand of champagne with initials MK...no luck.

 

[thuggins]

Why are you convinced they are for film? They could have been for pills, matches, bobby pins, etc.

I've got to second that question. Small metal canisters like that used to be extremely common. I have one that is an old sewing kit and recall seeing old match safes that looked very similar to your pictures.

 

[Paul Olig]

Thanks everyone for your input. As far as the "old restaurant" goes it was a local rural supper club near Emerson, Ia from the '70s into the late 80's... the drink of choice was beer or moonshine (made locally). This was also when Iowa was an 'open' state. Meaning liquor and gambling were not tightly regulated. Also, there were 3 mobile home trailers on the property where the "working girls" did business... As far as the canisters are concerned, film canisters was the first thing that came to my mind after digging them up... at this point my guess is ??????