I picked up this 10 gallon white eagle can. Someone has spray painted it bronze. My question is while these were in use were they bare metal or were they painted? I definitely don't want to leave it bronze but didnt know if I should just have it sandblasted to bare metal or have it painted also. Any help is greatly appreciated!

they were not painted just galvanized metal

I obtained a copy of the 1935 Ellisco catalog. Ellisco had two types of cans, Super-Service Side Rack Cans and Endurance Side Rack Cans. The Super-Service cans were either tin-coated inside and outside or cadmium plated inside and outside. The Endurance Cans came in five standard colors: aluminum, blue, green, orange, and red. I don't know the difference between the two types of can and the catalog does not explain the difference.
Does your can have a manufacturers brass ID plate? I think White Eagle would have been the product name.
Joe