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Logan Boswell loves his lunchbox.

And to his mother's relief, he usually loves the food that is packed inside. That's because the Suntree Elementary first-grader helps choose what he eats: ham or jelly sandwiches and chips.

It doesn't hurt that his Pokemon lunchbox is way cool at school, thanks to the cartoon character's popularity on television and the movie screen.

"I like the blue color on the lunchbox," said Logan, 6. "It's real cool to have, and I can just sit down and eat when its lunch time."

Mom Sherry Boswell can name other advantages of a lunchbox.

"I can sneak one or two healthy snacks into his meal," she said. "And at least I can tell what he's eating or what he's not eating when he brings the lunchbox home."

For 52 years, lunchboxes have been a critical accessory for school kids. They're also a testament to how design reflects culture. Starting with the Hopalong Cassidy model in 1950, lunchboxes have evolved from a simple container to an advertisement banner for Hollywood heroes and popular stars.

Originally, the lunchbox was designed for mobile workers who didn't have time to go home for a midday snack.

Then, in 1950, Aladdin Industries, which was already selling red-and-blue-painted steel lunch kits to workers, put decals from the Hopalong Cassidy cowboy series on a children's lunch kit.

It was the first licensed TV character kit, and the company sold 600,000 of them in the first year, according to the Web site www.lunchboxpad.com.

"There were really no kids' lunchboxes until 1950, when Aladdin put Hopalong Cassidy on the workman lunchbox," said John Corcoran, owner of Lunchbox Café on Wickham Road in Melbourne. "They put that decal on it, and changed lunchboxes as we know them."

By 1953, rival company American Thermos made a Roy Rogers lunch kit, the first fully lithographed steel lunchbox that included a thermos bottle. More than 2.5 million were sold in one year.

Other lunchbox characters followed: Tom Corbett: Space Cadet, The Lone Ranger and Superman.

In the 1970s, lunchbox makers turned to vinyl and plastic. Now soft-sided lunchboxes are available with zippers and straps.

Today's favorite lunchtime characters include Barbie, Scooby Doo, the Power Puff Girls, the Bratz and Spiderman, all featured on lunchbox lids, which, for the most part, continue to be designed in a square that resembles a television screen.

But if you want a nostalgic look at lunchboxes, step into Corcoran's café. It's like walking down the memory lane of lunchboxes. He's collected about 125 of them, the oldest of which is a 1920 lunchbox used by miners.

"It has a compartment where you could put hot water in order to keep the food warm," Cocoran said.

The café owner also has a 1950 Hopalong Cassidy and "a thermos that has a cork stopper in it," he said. "That's really unique."

Corcoran's children, Maddox, 7, and Madelyn, 6, carry lunchboxes to school. One features soccer players and the other the cartoon character Arthur, illustrating how the lunchbox you carry can say a lot about pop culture, but it gives a glimpse into personality as well.

"Lunchboxes are almost like a reflection of society," he said. "It gives you an idea of what is cool or not. To some extent, it's a fashion accessory."

Big business

Lunchboxes may be a necessity for school children and workers, but they're also a big industry for collectors, traders and traveling exhibits.

To date, the highest price ever paid for a lunchbox -- a mint Superman (1954, Universal) -- sold on eBay for $11,999.99.

And last November, the Smithsonian Institution began a three-year "Lunchbox Memories" tour that outlines the history of metal containers.

Unfortunately, there is no scheduled stop in the Sunshine State. That could change, Smithsonian organizers said. A few dates are open.

In Melbourne, trading and buying vintage lunchboxes is popular enough for antique store owner Colin Bentham to see them come and go on a weekly.

"There are quite a few antique lunchbox collectors in this area," said Bentham, owner of TMJ Antique Toys and Things at 581 Eau Gallie Blvd., Melbourne. "People buy them because they remember when they were going to school and having the same lunchbox."

At his store, collectable favorites are Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Peter Pan, Barbie, Star Trekk, Superman and Betty Boop. Prices range from $5 to $130. He has a "Lost in Space" metal lunchbox priced at $110.

Bentham's memory of a lunchbox?

"We were so poor, we were lucky if we had lunch," said the Barbados native. "For us, it was crackers, cheese and lemonade. A lunchbox wasn't a thing that could be afforded."

However, Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon are among the favorites of Jamal, Bentham's 8-year-old son.

Inside, the Orlando first-grader traditionally packs a bologna or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"He has a Batman lunchbox right now," Bentham said. "He's been taking his lunch to school for as long as I can remember, and I always try to put an apple and Gatorade in there."

What to pack

So, just what exactly should parents try to pack in those small kitchens-away-from-home.

It's no big surprise, but nutritional food items should top the list, said Gayle Whitworth, family and consumer sciences extension agent 2 with the University of Florida-Brevard County Extension Service.

"Plan for variety and use the food group pyramid," Whitworth said. "For lunch, you probably want a meat serving or meat substitute like hard boiled eggs, peanut butter or even bean dip."

Vegetables should include carrot and celery sticks, lettuce and tomato (atop of a sandwich does nicely) and fruit cups. Make sure to get 100 percent juice and not those loaded with sugar, and also milk for calcium.

Consider string cheese, yogurt, flavored rice or corn cakes, graham crackers and even ready-to-eat cereals.

Packing a lunch can give a child and parent an opportunity to learn the importance of a balanced meal.

"Lunch programs have to follow guidelines, but it's important for parents to teach their children how to make good choices," Whitworth said.

"And lunchboxes give families an opportunity to select foods the children really like and allows the children to prepare their own meals," she said. "When children do that, they are more likely to eat what they've got."

By the way, Thermos Co. (formerly King Seeley Thermos Co.) started producing metal lunchboxes again in 1998.

So you might want to warn your kid about the dangers of swinging those things.

Lunch-pail primer packed with history, nostalgia

According to www.lunchboxpad.com, here is a timeline of events regarding lunch boxes and their makers:

1765: John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich, orders roast beef between slices of toast to be brought to him at a gaming table, thereby inventing the lunch staple that bears his name. 1810: Tin-plated cans are made in England, moving to the U.S. in 1825.

1892: First successful vacuum bottle created in laboratory by James Dewar, an English scientist. The bottle is renamed the thermos in 1904 in a German newspaper contest, after the Greek word, therme, for heat.

1904: First imported "Thermos" bottles from Germany sold in the United States.

1907: First American "Thermos" bottle made in Brooklyn, N.Y., by The American Thermos Bottle Co. 1911: American Thermos made first workman's lunch kit with thermos bottles.

1920: The first children's lunch kit is produced by American Thermos.

1935: Mickey Mouse, first licensed character kit, made by Geuder, Paeschke & Frey Co. of Milwaukee.

1946: Chicago-based Aladdin Industries sells red and blue enameled steel lunch kits that include vacuum bottles.

1950: Aladdin's Hopalong Cassidy, the first licensed TV character kit; 600,000 of the decaled box and lithographed bottle sell the first year. Aladdin moves to Nashville, Tenn.

1953: American Thermos sells Roy Rogers lunch kit, the first fully lithographed steel lunch box and bottle. It sells 2.5 million in one year.

1954: With a new Hopalong Cassidy and Tom Corbett: Space Cadet, Aladdin adopts the fully lithographed steel lunch kit. Howdy Doody lunchbox introduced.

1957: The first decorated dome kits appear, such as a Red Barn by American Thermos.

1959: The first vinyl boxes appear.

1962: Embossing is introduced on metal boxes. The first Brunch Bag with zipper and strap appears.

1987: The last steel box made illustrates Rambo. Soft insulated storage containers dominate.

1998: Thermos Co. begins reproducing metal lunch boxes. The hobby of collecting lunch boxes is in full swing.

2003: Smithsonian Institution starts 3-year national tour for their exhibition, "Lunch Box Memories."

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