General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

ALUMINUM BOX/ STEEL? NEEDLES/ CARDBOARD CARD INSIDE LID

Dimensions

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

Length

4.2 cm

Width

3.5 cm

Height

1.0 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

United Kingdom

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Unknown

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.).

Function

CONTAINER MADE TO HOLD GRAMOPHONE NEEDLES BUT PROVIDED WITH STRIKER SO THAT IT COULD BE USED AS HOLDER FOR MATCHES WHEN EMPTY. MATCHES WERE USED TO LIGHT CANDLES & LAMPS, START FIRES IN STOVES & FIREPLACES FOR HEATING & COOKING, FOR MELTING SEALING WAX FOR LETTERS, & FOR LIGHTING CIGARETTES, PIPES ETC.

Technical

IN BRITAIN & U.S. NUMBER OF COMPANIES MARKETED NON-MATCH PRODUCTS IN BOXES THAT WERE PROVIDED WITH SOME FORM OF STRIKER SO AS TO BE USABLE AS MATCH HOLDER ONCE EMPTIED; THIS EXTENDED LIFETIME OF PRODUCT ADVERTISING ON BOX. (REF. 2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

IMPRESSED LETTERING ON LID READS "HALF TONE NEEDLES" & "HIS MASTER'S VOICE"/ BLACK LETTERING ON CARD READS "T. EDENS OSBORNE,/ "His MAster's Voice" Instruments, Records and Accessories./ 4, College Square, North/ BELFAST, Ireland"

Missing

COMPLETE

Finish

METALLIC BOX & NEEDLES/ WHITE CARD

Decoration

LID IMPRESSED WITH TRADEMARK IMAGE OF HIS MASTER'S VOICE (DOG NIPPER LOOKING INTO GRAMOPHONE HORN)