General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

SILVER WITH GOLD APPLIQUE

Dimensions

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

Length

4.6 cm

Width

4.3 cm

Height

1.1 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Domestic Technology

Category

Environment control

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

England

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

1907+

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.).ARTICLES ON SUBJECT. THIS EXAMPLE WAS APPARENTLY MADE FOR CANADIAN MARKET AS IT HAS APPLIED GOLD MAPLE LEAVES IN EACH CORNER. PURCHASED FROM RYRIE BIRKS OF TORONTO FOR WILFRED HICKS, PHARMACIST AT SUNNYBROOK HOSPITAL (REF. 2).

Function

CONTAINER ORIGINALLY 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 CARRIED IN POCKET FOR PERSONAL USE.

Technical

EXAMPLE OF SILVER POCKET MATCH HOLDER OF TYPICAL BRITISH STYLE, RECTANGULAR WITH ROUNDED CORNERS; ITHAS APPLIED PANELS OF GOLD IN CORNERS & SHIELD IN CENTRE. IT WAS PURCHASED FROM RYRIE BIRKS OF TORONTO; RYRIE BROS. & HENRY BIRKS & SONS CONSOLIDATED IN TORONTO TO FORM RYRIE BIRKS FROM 1905 TO 1924 (REF. 2). EXAMPLE OF SILVER POCKET WAX VESTA MATCH HOLDER WAX VESTA MATCHES WERE MOSTLY MANUFACTURED IN BRITAIN & ELSEWHERE IN EUROPE BUT BY 1895 E.B. EDDY OF HULL, PQ HAD BEGUN TO PRODUCE THEM.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

RAISED LETTERING ON BEZEL READS "S & BM" WITH HALLMARKS FOR CHESTER, ENG.

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

SILVER WITH GOLD COLOURED HEARTS

Decoration

APPLIQUE PANELS OF GOLD IN FORM OF SHIELD IN CENTRE & MAPLE LEAF IN EACH CORNER, ON ONE SIDE/ INCISED FLOWERS ON FRONT & BACK