General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

TIN

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

5.1 cm

Height

1.3 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

Whittall

Country

Canada

State/Province

Québec

City

Montréal

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

CIRCA 1920 TO 1930

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.). BRITISH COCOA MFRS. FRY, CADBURY & ROWNTREE ALL PRODUCED LITHOGRAPHED TINS TO HOLD ENOUGH COCOA FOR ONE CUP. THIS EXAMPLE WAS MADE IN MONTREAL FOR CANADIAN MARKET (REF. 2).

Function

CONTAINER MADE TO HOLD COCOA SAMPLE 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. CORRUGATED STRIKER ON LOWER PART OF BOX IS TYPICAL OF STRIKERS FOUND ON MANY REUSUABLE PRODUCT BOXES (REF. 2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

BLACK LETTERING ON EDGE OF TIN READS "A.R. WHITTALL CAN. CO. LTD."/ GOLD LETTERING ON LID READS "The Largest/ Seller in/ Canada", "Made/ where/ Purity is/ the first/ consideration" & "200 Years of Excellance"/ RAISED "FRY'S/ COCOA" STAMPED ON BOTTOM/ BLACK PRINTED "DIRECTIONS" FOR USE INSIDE LID

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

LID WITH PRIMARILY RED & BLACK LITHOGRAPH/ BOTTOM GOLD COLOURED

Decoration

YELLOW & RED IMAGE OF CAN OF COCOA ON FRONT