General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

SILVER

Dimensions

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

Length

6.3 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

Birks

Country

Canada

State/Province

Québec

City

Montréal

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

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.). POCKET MATCH HOLDER MARKETED BY WELL KNOW CANADIAN JEWELLER BIRKS. HENRY BIRKS & CO WAS FOUNDED IN 1879 IN MONTREAL & BIRKS STARTED HIS OWN SMALL JEWELLERY FACTORY IN 1887 TO SUPPLY IT. IN 1893 FIRM BECAME HENRY BIRKS & SON LTD. & BY 1894 WAS PRODUCING 80% OF JEWELLERY IT SOLD (REF. 3).

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 TYPE WOULD BE CARRIED IN POCKET FOR PERSONAL USE.

Technical

MATCH HOLDER MADE IN BRITISH STYLE (ENGRAVED DECORATION IS REMINISCENT OF BIRMINGHAM DESIGNS) BUT MARKED BIRKS. THIS TYPE OF HOLDER WAS MADE BY PATTERSON & SONS OF BIRMINGHAM FROM 1912 TO C. 1916 & BY HENRY BIRKS & SONS LTD. OF MONTREAL FROM C. 1917 TO 1926. PLAIN FORM OF THIS ITEM FIRST APPEARED IN BIRKS CATALOGUE IN 1912 (REF. 2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

LETTERING ON BEZELREADS "BIRKS 70 STERLING" ON ONE SIDE & "1/239/" ON OTHER SIDE

Missing

COMPLETE

Finish

SILVER COLOURED

Decoration

CURVILINEAR DESIGNS ON FRONT WITH CLEAR CIRCULAR AREA IN CENTRE INCISED WITH LETTER "S"