CFPL Matchbook
Dimensions2 x 5 x 0.5 cm (13/16 x 1 15/16 x 3/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Calvin Spooner, London, Ontario, 2019.
Object number2019.006.001
Label TextHere you see an example of paper matches and matchbooks. Pennsylvania attorney Joshua Pusey (1842-1906) filed a patent for what he called a “friction match card” in 1892. He proposed both wood and paper as the construction materials. Pusey favoured paper. Calling them “flexibles,” he liked that they did fit better into pockets and other receptacles. The Diamond Match Company bought Pusey’s patent in 1896. They soon manufactured matchbooks printed with advertising.
NameMatchbook
c. 1954
1840s - 1880s