General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

SILVER ROLLED PERIODICAL/ GOLD WRAPPER

Dimensions

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

Length

5.7 cm

Width

2.9 cm

Height

1.4 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

Richardson

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

LATE 1890S

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.). THIS PERSONALIZED MATCH HOLDER WAS PURCHASED FOR OR BY (IN SAN FRANCISCO?) SENATOR J.R. THIBAUDEAU IN 1892 (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 CARRIED IN POCKET FOR PERSONAL USE.

Technical

EXAMPLE OF AMERICAN MFD. MATCH HOLDER MADE OF PRECIOUS METALS WITH PERSONALIZED INSCRIPTION IN FORM OF ADDRESS & POSTMARK IDENTIFYING OWNER & PLACE & DATE PURCHASE. ENOS RICHARDSON & CO. HELD 1890 PATENT FOR THIS DESIGN & ADVERTISED THIS TYPE OF MATCH HOLDER IN 1892 AS MOST SUCCESSFUL SILVER NOVELTY EVER PUT ON MARKET (REF. 2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

INCISED LETTERING ON WRAPPER READS IN SCRIPT "Hon J.R. Thibaudeau/ Montreal/ PQ"/ BLACK SIMULATED POSTMARK ON WRAPPER READS "SAN FRANCISCO/ 12 6 PM/ 1892"

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

SILVER & GOLD COLOURED

Decoration

INCISED BANNER & FRONT PAGE OF SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN JOURNAL VISIBLE ON EITHER SIDE OF WRAPPER