General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

STERLING SILVER,/ STEEL

Dimensions

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

Length

4.3 cm

Width

4.0 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

Bishtons

Country

England

State/Province

Unknown

City

Birmingham

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

EARLY 20TH CENTURY

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 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, MAY HAVE BEEN COMMEMORATIVE.

Technical

EXAMPLE OF POCKET MATCH HOLDER MADE OF STERLING SILVER, WITH SUSPENSION RING & SIDES SLIGHTLY CURVED TO FIT WAIST OF USER, FROM BIRMINGHAM, ENG. STRIKER, SET INTO BASE EDGE OF BOX, IS CYLINDRICAL PIECE OF STEEL INSET IN CYLINDRICAL CHANNEL, WITH RAISED DOTS ALONG BOTH EDGES; THIS PRACTICE SEEMS TO HAVE STARTED C. 1900. BISHTONS LTD. WAS FOUNDED BY THOMAS BISHTON IN 1889 & STILL OPERATES TODAY (REF. 2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

RAISED LETTERING ON BEZEL READS "TB" [THOMAS BISHTON TRADEMARK] WITH HALLMARKS/ INCISED LETTERING ON ONE SIDE READS IN SCRIPT "March 7th 1910"

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

POLISHED SILVER

Decoration

INCISED SUPERIMPOSED ORNATE INITIALS "ATC"