General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

PLYWOOD BACKPLATE/ WOOD RECEPTACLE/ SANDPAPER? STRIKER

Dimensions

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

Length

13.3 cm

Width

2.1 cm

Height

17.7 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

Unknown

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

CIRCA 1910-1915+

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.). AMERICAN MADE WALL MATCH HOLDER, SEVERAL VERSIONS OF WHICH COULD BE FOUND IN T. EATON & CO. CATALOGUES FROM 1911 TO ABOUT 1914 (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 TYPE WOULD BE MOUNTED ON WALL FOR HOUSEHOLD USE.

Technical

VOGUE FOR MATCH HOLDERS WITH HUMOUROUS "SCRATCH MOTTOES" ON CERAMIC HOLDERS BEGAN IN BRITAIN C. 1909. THIS WOODEN WALL MOUNTED EXAMPLE HAS MATCH RECEPTACLE IN FORM OF HALF CYLINDER & SANDED PATCH APPLIED TO REAR END OF PAINTED FIGURE AS STRIKER. IT WAS PROBABLY MADE IN U.S. TYPE WAS QUITE COMMON FROM ABOUT 1910 ONWARDS (REF.2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

BLACK LETTERING ON BACKPLATE READS "DON'T SCRATCH YOUR/ MATCHES ON THE WALLS/ SCRATCH ‘EM ON MY/ OVERALLS!"

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

UNFINISHED BACKPLATE/ RED PAINTED MATCH RECEPTACLE/ GREEN STRIKER

Decoration

BLACK PAINTED FIGURE OF MAN STANDING WITH BACK TO VIEWER, LOOKING BACK OVER SHOULDER