VINTAGE ADVERTISING MATCH SAFE/VESTA – “AIMES BOOT MAKERS” – PINCH TO OPEN
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:18870442 | Featured Refinements: Match Safe |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom |
VINTAGE ADVERTISING MATCH SAFE/VESTA – “AIMES BOOT MAKERS” – PINCH TO OPEN. Condition is Used. Shipped with USPS First Class Package.
I have been unable to find much reference material on this British company. I did find a listing in “Edward Cassey & Co.’s History & Gazetteer & Directory of Shropshire” County, published in 1871. Shropshire is an inland county on the border with Wales. I have highlighted a listing for “Aimes & Tyler, boot makers, Ches...hire st” entered under “Trades and Professions in the borough of Drayton, pop. 3661." I also found information as to the fact that around 1850-1870 there were over 2000 separate bootmakers in the surrounding area. This safe is unique in that it opens by pinching at the top and the lid flips open revealing the stick matches inside. The striker is inscribed on an outside edge. The safe is made of nickel-plate over brass, exhibiting nice aging with parts of the brass showing through. I think this could be an early British example because of the smaller size of the case, denoting the usage of the shorter matches (vestas) common in the UK in the 1850’s and ‘60’s. Size approx.1-78” x 1-3/8.” A HISTORY OF POCKET MATCH SAFES The early matchstick was unsafe and special pocket containers for storage were needed. These utilitarian containers evolved in time into decorator and novelty items, which became useful as advertising vehicles for merchants and manufacturers alike. Magazines, trade publications and newspapers in the last quarter of 19thcentury began carrying advertisements of pocket match safes for sale or as giveaways, popularizing the product as a smoking man’s necessity.Patents were issued as early as 1857, with thousands of variations being introduced up to the early 1900’s. The British referred to match safes as a “vesta box” after a type of match popular from the 1850’s. The name was probably derived from Vesta, the goddess of hearth and fire. Pocket match safes were first manufactured from common metals: steel, tin, aluminum and copper, and alloys such as brass, bronze, nickel and pewter. Available natural materials were also used: wood, leather, horn, tortoise shell plus others, and finally fashioned out of gold and silver. All pocket safes had one common feature – the match striking area. A notched or ribbed surface – the “striker” - was located somewhere on the container - the bottom of the case, or sometimes inside. If a container lacks this, it generally is not a match safe. Some old and ornate cigarette lighter cases – with the guts removed – have been inaccurately displayed as “match safes.” Portions adapted from “A History of Match Safes in The United States” Audrey Sullivan – 1978 I am selling other advertising match safes from my collection. Check eBay for additional listings. All are top quality. Photos accurately show product condition. Payment via PayPal only. Shipping to continental US only via insured USPS First Class Package.
I have been unable to find much reference material on this British company. I did find a listing in “Edward Cassey & Co.’s History & Gazetteer & Directory of Shropshire” County, published in 1871. Shropshire is an inland county on the border with Wales. I have highlighted a listing for “Aimes & Tyler, boot makers, Ches...hire st” entered under “Trades and Professions in the borough of Drayton, pop. 3661." I also found information as to the fact that around 1850-1870 there were over 2000 separate bootmakers in the surrounding area. This safe is unique in that it opens by pinching at the top and the lid flips open revealing the stick matches inside. The striker is inscribed on an outside edge. The safe is made of nickel-plate over brass, exhibiting nice aging with parts of the brass showing through. I think this could be an early British example because of the smaller size of the case, denoting the usage of the shorter matches (vestas) common in the UK in the 1850’s and ‘60’s. Size approx.1-78” x 1-3/8.” A HISTORY OF POCKET MATCH SAFES The early matchstick was unsafe and special pocket containers for storage were needed. These utilitarian containers evolved in time into decorator and novelty items, which became useful as advertising vehicles for merchants and manufacturers alike. Magazines, trade publications and newspapers in the last quarter of 19thcentury began carrying advertisements of pocket match safes for sale or as giveaways, popularizing the product as a smoking man’s necessity.Patents were issued as early as 1857, with thousands of variations being introduced up to the early 1900’s. The British referred to match safes as a “vesta box” after a type of match popular from the 1850’s. The name was probably derived from Vesta, the goddess of hearth and fire. Pocket match safes were first manufactured from common metals: steel, tin, aluminum and copper, and alloys such as brass, bronze, nickel and pewter. Available natural materials were also used: wood, leather, horn, tortoise shell plus others, and finally fashioned out of gold and silver. All pocket safes had one common feature – the match striking area. A notched or ribbed surface – the “striker” - was located somewhere on the container - the bottom of the case, or sometimes inside. If a container lacks this, it generally is not a match safe. Some old and ornate cigarette lighter cases – with the guts removed – have been inaccurately displayed as “match safes.” Portions adapted from “A History of Match Safes in The United States” Audrey Sullivan – 1978 I am selling other advertising match safes from my collection. Check eBay for additional listings. All are top quality. Photos accurately show product condition. Payment via PayPal only. Shipping to continental US only via insured USPS First Class Package.
