![]() Pusey challenged Bowman's patent, but Bowman's patent was upheld. However, the matchbook as we know it was patented a few weeks later by Charles Bowman of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Īlthough paper matches were patented in the 1880s, an early paper match "folder" was patented in September 1892 by Philadelphia patent attorney Joshua Pusey. Recently, matchbooks have begun to regain some of their popularity as a "retro" advertising item, particularly in high-end restaurants. Manufacturing of matchbooks peaked during the 1940s and 1950s, then steadily declined because of the availability of disposable lighters and various anti-smoking health campaigns. The ease of making matchcovers of different shapes also made them quite a popular cheap promotional item or anniversary souvenir. The exterior of the matchcover is usually imprinted with a producer's logo, often with artistic decorations, or serves as an advertising/promotional medium for the undertaking by which it is sold or given away. The folder is opened to access the matches, which are attached in a comb-like arrangement and must be torn away before use in contrast to a matchbox where the matches are loosely packed in the interior tray. This week, I purchased a few at a neighborhood junk shop for three for one dollar.īecause of the era, some vintage matchbook covers are racist, many are sexist, and some are surprisingly gay.Supersonic Matchbook (1985-1986 given on Concorde)Ī matchbook is a small paperboard folder (known as a matchcover) enclosing a quantity of matches and having a coarse striking surface on the exterior. Their small size and large production numbers mean that matchboxes are an affordable way to collect vintage advertising art. However, by the mid-1970s, the introduction of disposable lighters devastated the matchbook industry. government safety laws insisted that friction strips be moved from the outside-front of a matchbook to the outside back, which meant the end of the famous phrase “Close Cover Before Striking”. Matchbox advertising proved perfect for advertising public-health initiatives, sporting events, and political campaigns. There are matchbooks that featured friction strips on caricatures of Adolph Hitler‘s butt, with the words: “Strike On Back Side” printed on the front. Thousands of matchbook designs were created during WW II, with may covers having patriotic themes. “Girlies” matchbooks were printed for all 242 Playboy clubs, and there are covers featuring different railroad lines and national parks. Sometimes the covers were printed with full-length designs, so that when the cover is flattened and turned sideways, it resembles a small billboard. The graphics and colors are rich and vivid. The exception is for novelty matchbooks whose matches have also been printed.įor some reason, matchbook covers are particularly cool when it comes to matchbooks for places to eat and drink. They usually carefully open the staple to remove the matches from the inside of the cover, and the covers are displayed flat. ![]() Soon matchbooks were offered to customers of tobacco products, and they were left in the ashtrays of eateries and hotels for the convenience of diners and guests.Ĭollectors of vintage matchbooks are called “Phillumenists”. Traute realized that if his matchbooks should be given away, and they could be used to sell other products. Smartly, Traute had the friction strip moved to the outside of the matchbook and added the words “Close Cover Before Striking” to the cover. The public wasn’t buying them because those first matchbooks were quite dangerous the friction strip was located inside the cover, right next to the rest of the matches. Despite the advertisements, matchbook companies expected people to purchase their products. Tobacco maker Bull Durham quickly followed with an order for 30 million matchbooks. The Diamond Match Company promptly purchased Pusey’s patent for $4000, and in 1894, a company salesman, Henry Traute, received his first order for 10 million matchbooks with ads for Pabst Blue Ribbon beer on their covers. ![]() ![]() Joshua Pusey (1842 – 1906) patented paper matches, whose tips were dipped in a solution of sulphur and phosphorus and then attached to a piece of cardboard. ![]() Matchbooks have been around since the late 19th century. ![]()
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