Exhibitor : Derek Judd
Universal Match was founded in 1925 by A H and S M Rosenberg. The family had a number of years’ worth of match manufacturing before embarking on this adventure of their own.
Over the following years Universal Match absorbed many different match companies by mergers and takeovers. Universal changed its name in 1966 to UMC Industries Inc as they had become a very successful company.
In 1981 the company was sold to Swedish Match AB which led to the renaming of the business to Universal Match Corp. Production centres for Universal were nationwide as can be seen by the examples in the gallery below.
Universal had numerous trademarks/types (37) in their stable of bookmatches. Matchorama is listed as colour photo-type (in 1956).
The Matchorama Aristocrats bookmatches were produced publicising very diverse topics. In the US this size of matchbook is commonly known as a “30 strike match cover” which would equate to the major size in the UK.
The gallery below has some of my favourite examples which I hope you find of interest. Those shown are all front strikers (FS) which are an earlier style, but later styles changed to having a back striker (BS). Further information and articles etc can be found on a Google search if required.
Pest Control Service, Universal Match Corp, Pittsburgh, front, 50 x 113 mm
Pest Control Service, Universal Match Corp, Pittsburgh, back, 50 x 113 mm
Superior Optical Company, Universal Match Corp, Los Angeles, front, 50 x 113 mm
Superior Optical Company, Universal Match Corp, Los Angeles, back, 50 x 113 mm
Pfitzinger Mortuary Incorporated, Universal Match Corp, St Louis, front 50 x 113 mm
Pfitzinger Mortuary Incorporated, Universal Match Corp, St Louis, back 50 x 113 mm
Hawthorne at Leesburg, Universal Match, Orlando, Florida, front, 50 x 113 mm
Hawthorne at Leesburg, Universal Match, Orlando, Florida, back, 50 x 113 mm
CP & L’S Nuclear Plant, Universal Match, Atlanta, front, 50 x 113 mm
CP & L’S Nuclear Plant, Universal Match, Atlanta, back, 50 x 113 mm