Monday 25 June 2012

The Duel and Other Matches

Some examples of the fine work of The Western India Match Co. Ltd.. Matchbox labels and matchbooks are yet another thing I could easily start collecting. To be honest, by most people's standards, I've already got enough to call it a collection, but I don't go looking for them, so it doesn't count.

Anyway, I got these labels from Ebay not long ago. I love the graphics and the slightly off-kilter themes. They got me thinking as to why a match maker would bother to have so many different designs on their matchboxes.
Presumably there was no difference between the 'Deer and Tiger' matches and 'Three Monkeys' matches? Did they make the different labels because they knew people would collect them? 
I haven't been able to find the answer, but I have discovered that matchbox label collecting is called phillumeny. So now you know as much as I do.

1 comment:

Jane Housham said...

Phillumeny? Cool. I like to learn good new words like that. These matchbox labels are beauts.