General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

BRASS & TIN PLATE/ SYNTHETIC (CELLULOID) COVER

Dimensions

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

Length

7.1 cm

Width

4.0 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

Whitehead Hoag

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New Jersey

City

Newark

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

1903+

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.). THIS MATCH HOLDER WAS PRESENTATION GIFT AT CELEBRATION FOR CANADIAN TOWN'S CHAMPIONSHIP LACROSSE TEAM SOF 1903 & DISPLAYS PHOTOGRAPHS & NAMES OF TEAM MEMBERS & OFFICIALS; ON OTHER SIDE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF MUSKRAT RIVER & DAM (REF. 2).

Function

CONTAINER FOR 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 EXAMPLE, OF TYPE CARRIED IN POCKET FOR PERSONAL USE, COMMEMORATES LACROSSE TEAM.

Technical

EXAMPLE OF THREE-PIECE POCKET MATCH HOLDER IN WHICH BODY IS FORMED OF ONE PIECE OF METAL WITH SEPARATE LID & BASE CAP, MOSTLY USED AS FORM OF COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING OR CHEAP SOUVENIRS OF EVENTS OR PLACES. AROUND 1900, METAL PLATES OR CELLULOID OR LEATHER COVERS WERE ADDED TO CARRY ADVERTISING. THIS EXAMPLE HAS DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF MATCH HOLDERS MADE BY WHITEHEAD & HOAG OF NEWARK, NJ INCLUDING PAIR OF RAISED DIMPLES ON EACH EDGE OF BASE CAP & SINGLE RAISED DIMPLE ON FRONT EDGE OF LID. W&H WAS MAKING ADVERTISING MATCH HOLDERS WITH WRAP-AROUND CELLULOID BODY BY 1903. IT WAS PROBABLY MOST PROLIFIC PRODUCER OF THIS TYPE OF BOX & PRODUCTS WERE SOLD AROUND WORLD. IT HAD AGENTS & OFFICES OUTSIDE U.S. INCLUDING OFFICE IN TORONTO IN FIRST DECADE OF 20TH CENTURY (REF. 2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

WHITE LETTERING ON ONE SIDE READS "PEMBROKE/ LACROSSE TEAM/ 1903" ON ONE SIDE & "MUSKRAT/ RIVER AND/ DAM/ PEMBROKE/ ONT."

Missing

COMPLETE

Finish

PLATED/WHITE COVER

Decoration

PORTRAITS OF LACROSSE TEAM ON ONE SIDE/ PHOTOGRAPH OF RIVER & DAM ON OTHER SIDE