General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

TIN WITH BRASS CAPS/SYNTHETIC (CELLULOID) COVER

Dimensions

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

Length

5.8 cm

Width

3.8 cm

Height

1.2 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

Quebec

Period

EARLY 20TH 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.). THIS EXAMPLE HAS ADVERTISING FOR H. GILCHREST, LIVESTOCK AGENT IN MONTREAL WHO WAS IN BUSINESS FROM 1906 TO 1908. WOODBURN SONS CO. LTD.OF MONTREAL WERE AGENTS FOR WHITEHEAD & HOAG FROM 1901 TO AT LEAST 1909 (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, ADVERTISED LIVESTOCK AGENT.

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

BROWN LETTERING ON ONE SIDE READS "H. GILCREST/ LIVESTOCK/ SALES/ AND/ FORWARDING/ AGENT/ MONTREAL/ RED LETTERING ONE SIDE READS "ADDRESS CABLES../ GILCHRIST MONTREAL" & "WOODBURN SONS CO. LIMITED MONTREAL"; ON OTHER SIDE "PHONES:/ OFFICE, MAIN 1974/ HOUSE, MOUNT. 532"

Missing

COMPLETE

Finish

PLATED METAL/ WHITE COVER

Decoration

RAISED BEADED LINE ALONG EDGE OF BODY BESIDE EACH END CAP/ SEPIA PHOTOGRAPH OF TWO BULLS ON ONE SIDE