ANTIQUE CELLULOID MATCH SAFE/VESTA – “BE SURE TO CHECK FOR THE UNION LABEL "
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:19097491 | Featured Refinements: Antique Match Safe |
ANTIQUE CELLULOID MATCH SAFE/VESTA – “BE SURE TO CHECK FOR THE UNION LABEL". Condition is Used. Shipped with insured USPS First Class Package.
Offering for sale an interesting piece of smoking history – the unionization of thousands of independent cigar makers, and why consumers should be aware. The match safe front states “BEFORE PURCHASING A CIGAR BE SURE AND SEE THAT THIS BLUE UNION LABEL IS ON THE BOX.” To make sure the buyer knows why, the copy continues “It repres...ents LIVING WAGES and not CHILD LABOR.” The reverse has a simple message, showing a picture of an envelope with the name “ED. HERMAN” and the “return address” as “SMOKE UNION MADE CIGARS.” The letter even has a fancy “postage stamp” with the legend “WITH BEST WISHES” “GOOD LUCK.” One of the sides states “BLUE LABEL CIGARS are not made by the Trust, ” a reference to an independent group of non-union makers. The celluloid wrap on the other side is marked as made by “Whitehead & Hoag Newark, NJ” and also has a logo “L.I.P. & B.A. – AMERICAN MADE.” The celluloid is warped a little on the end of this side, although the glue is still holding well. The top of the safe shows the Union seal (can’t read it) and the bottom of the safe has the striker. Once again, “they ain’t makin’ these no more” and this attractive safe is a survivor from around 1904, when the wrapper probably printed (as per eBay research.) 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 19th century 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 pieces are top quality. Photos accurately show product condition. Payment via PayPal only. Shipping to continental US only via insured USPS First Class Package.
Offering for sale an interesting piece of smoking history – the unionization of thousands of independent cigar makers, and why consumers should be aware. The match safe front states “BEFORE PURCHASING A CIGAR BE SURE AND SEE THAT THIS BLUE UNION LABEL IS ON THE BOX.” To make sure the buyer knows why, the copy continues “It repres...ents LIVING WAGES and not CHILD LABOR.” The reverse has a simple message, showing a picture of an envelope with the name “ED. HERMAN” and the “return address” as “SMOKE UNION MADE CIGARS.” The letter even has a fancy “postage stamp” with the legend “WITH BEST WISHES” “GOOD LUCK.” One of the sides states “BLUE LABEL CIGARS are not made by the Trust, ” a reference to an independent group of non-union makers. The celluloid wrap on the other side is marked as made by “Whitehead & Hoag Newark, NJ” and also has a logo “L.I.P. & B.A. – AMERICAN MADE.” The celluloid is warped a little on the end of this side, although the glue is still holding well. The top of the safe shows the Union seal (can’t read it) and the bottom of the safe has the striker. Once again, “they ain’t makin’ these no more” and this attractive safe is a survivor from around 1904, when the wrapper probably printed (as per eBay research.) 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 19th century 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 pieces are top quality. Photos accurately show product condition. Payment via PayPal only. Shipping to continental US only via insured USPS First Class Package.
