General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

TIN/ CELLULOID COVER

Dimensions

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

Length

6.0 cm

Width

3.6 cm

Height

1.1 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

MERGOTT

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New Jersey

City

Newark

Context

Country

Canada

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.). DISTRIBUTED AS SOUVENIR OF OTTAWA, ON, HAVING SEPIA PHOTOGRAPHS OF PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS & LADY ABERDEEN BRIDGE OVER OTTAWA RIVER.

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 WHICH WOULD BE CARRIED IN POCKET FOR PERSONAL USE, IS SOUVENIR OF OTTAWA..

Technical

EXAMPLE OF THREE-PIECE BOX 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 EDGE PLATES & LID CHARACTERISTIC OF HOLDERS MFD.BY JULIUS E. MERGOTT OF NEWARK, NJ. MERGOTT ESTABLISHED NOVELTY BUSINESS IN 1882 & FIVE PATENTS RELATING TO THREE-PIECE MATCH HOLDERS WERE FILED BETWEEN 1903 & 1910.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

INDENTED LETTERING ON BEZEL READS "PAT.APLD.FOR"

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

PLATED METAL/ BUFF CELLULOID

Decoration

SEPIA PHOTOGRAPHS OF CANADIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS ON ONE SIDE & LADY ABERDEEN BRIDGE OVER OTTAWA RIVER ON OTHER SIDE.