General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

3

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

BRASS

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

N/A

Width

N/A

Height

7.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

4.2 cm

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Lighting Technology

Category

Miscellaneous

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Harcourt

Country

England

State/Province

Unknown

City

Birmingham

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

1850S

Canada

ITEM FROM COLLECTION OF DENIS B. ALSFORD (1929-2004). BORN IN BRITAIN, MR. ALSFORD WORKED AT BRITISH MUSEUM UNTIL EMIGRATING TO CANADA IN 1968, BECOMING WELL KNOWN FIGURE IN CANADIAN MUSEUM COMMUNITY. HE WAS CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS FOR ETHNOLOGY DIVISION OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN IN OTTAWA FOR TWENTY YEARS, PLANNED ARTIFACT STORAGE FACILITY IN NEW MUSEUM OF CIVILISATION IN GATINEAU WHICH OPENED IN 1989, & WAS FELLOW OF CANADIAN MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION. HIS COLLECTION OF MATCH HOLDERS NUMBERED OVER ONE THOUSAND; HE WAS ACTIVE MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL MATCH SAFE ASSOCIATION & AUTHORED SEVERAL BOOKS & ARTICLES ON SUBJECT (SEE BIOGRAPHY IN 2004.0024 SUPP. INFO.).

Function

CONTAINER FOR WAX VESTA MATCHES WHICH COULD BE USED TO LIGHT CANDLES & LAMPS, START FIRES IN STOVES & FIREPLACES FOR HEATING & COOKING, FOR MELTING SEALING WAX FOR LETTERS, & FOR LIGHTING CIGARETTES, PIPES ETC. THIS TYPE WOULD BE SET ON DESK, TABLE, SHELF ETC. FOR PERSONAL OR HOUSEHOLD USE.

Technical

EXAMPLE OF EARLY (1850S) ENGLISH MADE HOLDER FOR WAX VESTA MATCHES. BIRMINGHAM, ENG WAS MAJOR CENTRE IN BRITAIN FOR PRODUCTION OF BRASS MATCH HOLDERS & HARCOURT BROS. WAS POSSIBLY MOST PROLIFIC PRODUCER OF THIS TYPE. IN 1852 HARCOURT BROS. PATENTED METHOD TO MAKE FLARED BASES & BODY SIDES OF CYLINDRICAL MATCH HOLDERS. THIS METHOD WAS USED TO MAKE THIS EXAMPLE, WHICH HAS FLARED BASE SOLDERED TO SHEET BRASS BODY IMPRESSED WITH DESIGNS BY ROLLERS & HAS CANDLE SCONCE & MATCH SOCKET IN LID (REF. 2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

NONE

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

BROWN WITH GOLD COLOURED PARTS

Decoration

PRESSED FLORAL DESIGN COVERS BODY