General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

CAST IRON

Dimensions

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

Length

N/A

Width

11.1 cm

Height

8.8 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Lighting Technology

Category

Miscellaneous

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Zimmerman

Country

Federal Republic of Germany

State/Province

Unknown

City

Hanover

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

LATE 19TH C.

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

HOLDER FOR MATCHES & ASHTRAY: ASHTRAY USED TO HOLD USED MATCHES, CIGARETTES & ASH ETC.; MATCHES COULD BE TO LIGHT CANDLES & LAMPS, START FIRES IN STOVES & FIREPLACES FOR HEATING & COOKING, FOR MELTING SEALING WAX FOR LETTERS, & FOR LIGHTING CIGARETTES, PIPES ETC.; FOR COMMERCIAL USE

Technical

EXAMPLE OF CAST IRON DUAL PURPOSE ITEM MADE IN GERMANY, EARLY EXAMPLE OF HOLDER LIKELY MADE FOR COMMERCIAL USE IN HOTELS ETC. RATHER THAN DOMESTIC USE. HEXAGONAL HOLDER SIDES ALL HAVE STRIKING SURFACE (REF. 2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

CAST LABEL ON UNDERSIDE READS "VERLAG BEI/ E.G. ZIMMERMAN/ IN HANAU"/ INCISED "12803" ON UNDERSIDE

Missing

COMPLETE

Finish

BLACK

Decoration

RAISED CURVILINEAR DESIGN AROUND TOP EDGE OF ASHTRAY