Visitor Book 2024
Read what Visitors to our 2024 On-line Exhibition thought of the show.
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Tom O’Key (USA)
Exhibit : Samuel Jones – father of Matchbox Art
I collect objects and information related to specific areas of interest, where innovation in fire making is concerned. After fifty years being engaged with the subject, in a very broad sense, my focus has settled on innovations created during the age of enlightenment, and until the beginning of the twentieth century.
My collection has evolved as knowledge and opportunities emerged. Information and new examples have connected enough evidence to say that a better understanding of the industry that developed and what impacts took place, as a result.
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Takeshi Yokomizo (Japan)
Exhibit : Matches on matchbox labels
Boxes of matches used to be a familiar printed matter and were regarded fondly by people. But as a throw-away object, their life tends to be short. I embrace their fate and continue to collect them as a record of our everyday life.
I have been collecting for 30 years (labels and skillets 50,000+).
My collection mainly focuses on Japanese labels for export matchboxes in the Meiji – Taisho era (1868 – 1926).
I am also interested in Japanese advertisement matchboxes used for pro-war propaganda produced just before Japan’s defeat in WWII.
Some of these labels are shown in the gallery below, click on an image to enlarge it.
Japan export to India, Meiji – Taisho era
Japan export label, Meiji – Taisho era
Japan pro-war propaganda label, WWII
Japan pro-war propaganda label, WWII
Sir Adamjee – From a Match Trader to a Nation Builder
President’s Award winner 2022
Exhibitor : Badrul Hisham Jaafar
This exhibit is dedicated to the match labels of a famous entrepreneur and industrialist who is one of the founding fathers of Pakistan: Sir Adamjee Haji Dawood (1880-1948).
Born in 1880 in Jetpur, Gujrat, British India of a Memon community, Sir Adamjee began his entrepreneurial venture very early in life when he was just a teenager. His real name is Adam Dawood Baig Mohammad. He was fondly called Adamjee by his mother where the suffix ‘jee’, sometimes spelled ‘ji’, denotes special affection in Gujarati family. He went to Burma (now Myanmar) in 1895 at a tender age of 15 to work as an apprentice. By the age of 18, he had begun operating his own business. In 1914, his company, Adamjee Dawood & Co was established and traded items such as rice, jute, and matches amongst others. In 1920 he built his own match factory in Rangoon which began match production by December of 1923.
This is a story of rags to riches, of mercantile to conglomerate, of a commoner to a national hero. Such a story deserves to be told and retold. As such, this exhibit intends to share part of his legacy by focusing on the match labels, a trade Sir Adamjee started off, amongst many of his joyous and arduous journey as an entrepreneur, a social visionary and philanthropist. Sir Adamjee was knighted in 1938 by the British Government due to his immense contribution to society such as his active involvement in flood relief activities and education related ventures amongst many others in British India.
The Trading Years, 1914 to 1924*
Imported brands of Adamjee’s matches from Japan.
Imported animal themed brands 1
Imported animal themed brands 2
Imported non-animal themed brands
Adamjee’s match factory
Adamjee’s match factory was reputed to be amongst the largest in Asia of its time, located in Pazundaung, Rangoon (Yangon) hired 1,400 employees mostly consist of Burmese women. His industrialization dream bears witness to a successful match manufacturing venture using German and Japan made machines. The business survived various episodes of hardship particularly the famous match trade war between Adamjee and the “match king” Ivar Kreuger of Swedish Match Company (SMC) who owned nearly 75 percent of world match trade at the time. It also survived the 1938 bloody riots of Burma and the 1942 Second World War. However, the factory was subsequently nationalized by the Burmese state in 1968.
The Manufacturing Years, 1923 to 1968*
Manufactured brands of Adamjee’s match labels from Burma (Myanmar). It was reported that Adamjee had over 2 dozen match label brand names manufactured out of his factory in Rangoon.
Animal themed brands
Cat and cow brands
Violin brand
Scissors brand
Assorted themes 1
Assorted themes 2
These labels now bear witness to the legacy of a business conglomerate, the Adamjee Group and the man himself for his contribution in the early formative days of Pakistan as a country. A successful entrepreneur extraordinaire, Sir Adamjee is remembered as a person who helped fund the newly created Pakistan by providing “a blank cheque” secured by his personal assets during Pakistan’s critical formative years.
This is a tribute towards a personality who not only made a name in match trading and match manufacturing in Asia but also towards humanity, industrialization and social development. Sir Adamjee, a commoner turned national hero born out of a match industry.
Notes & References:
* denotes estimated years.
All information is duly obtained from exhibitor’s personal reading of related information referred to and obtained from :
I) “Colonial Burma, history and phillumeny” by Andrew Selth, 24thMay, 2016 published in the New Mandala, (www.mandala.org)
ii) “The Merchant Knight – Adamjee Haji Dawood”, by Daleara Jamasji-Hirjikaka & Yasmin Qureshi, Adamjee Foundation, 2004.
iii) “Adamjee Haji Dawood” on wikipedia.com
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Stephane Pinaud (France)
Exhibit : Portefeuilles
Matchboxes caught my attention when I was 11 years old. I started the collection imitating a cousin. At first it was a game and an excuse to escape from the family farm to explore the shops and tobacco shop.
Exploring the attics didn’t turn out, but I found “Casque d’or” box, dated mid-1920s, in a drawer at my grandparents’ house, a treasure for me at this time !
The virus for good infected me in 1994, at random from a newsstand, when I discovered the existence of L’Association Vitolphilique et Philumenique Francaise (AVPF) through a classified ad from a collector in a specialized newspaper. I was then 22 years old and began to search for old boxes.
I immediately made the choice to limit my collection to complete French boxes and to go back as closely as possible to the origins of this everyday object. My oldest box is from the end of the 1830s.
From before 1950 I have about 3500 complete boxes including 1000 from before the monopoly established in 1872. Over time I have also collected labels, especially for advertising boxes from the 1920s / 1930s some of which are very rare. Since 2008 I have been in charge of writing the magazine of AVPF and since 2011 chairman of the AVPF.
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Stefan Joset (Switzerland)
Exhibit : Swiss Railways
My name is Stefan Joset, I am 65 years old and already retired. I live in Switzerland in a village near Basel, where I grew up. I have been a collector for as long as I can remember. It started with postage stamps, collected all advertising art from banana labels to beer mats and over the years it has all taken up way too much space. That’s why I reduced my collections and now specialize only in Swiss matchbooks, Swiss chocolate wrappers and Liebig pictures (trade cards).
Here are a few examples of Liebig pictures and chocolate wrappers (more information on the chocolate wrappers can be found here).
I really like the variety and rich colours of the Swiss bookmatches, which are decorated with a local animal, the chamois. For decades, this trademark was emblazoned on the products of our then largest match factory in Switzerland.
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Simon Blackman (UK)
Exhibit : Why Sivakasi? Match manufacture in Southern India
I was introduced to the collecting of matchboxes, matchbooks, labels and more by a family friend who had worked in the Far East and who had a nice album of labels and skillets from Hong Kong that he would show me occasionally. Early on I fell into the same trap as many fledgling collectors with skillets thinned and trimmed; matchbooks bobtailed; and everything stuck into albums with rubber glue and Sellotape. So, 10 years in, my collection had to be thrown out and I started all over again!
In the intervening years I had come across a presentation pack from the Cornish Match obtained when I went to Cornwall on holiday; and learned of the existence of the British Matchbox Label and Booklet Society. A lifetime friendship with David Van Der Plank would later follow.
Initially I started collecting Indian labels because they were cheap, numerous in number and easy to purchase.
Slowly I branched out to other Asian countries though, somehow, I have never had the desire to collect labels from Japan or Sri Lanka (Ceylon).
Gradually I became more interested in researching matchbox history and making my findings available to other collectors.
I was in an advantageous situation as my daytime job as a computer support officer at the University of Liverpool allowed me access to research resources only available to academics. I then took night school classes in Mandarin Chinese so that I could understand labels bearing Chinese characters. A book followed (“Towards a Better Understanding of Chinese Matchbox Labels: A Beginners Guide to Translation”) and now that I have retired am working on updating and extending it.
Today I am as interested in researching the history of match manufacture as collecting matchbox labels!
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Shakil Huq (Bangladesh)
Exhibit : Souvenir matchboxes from Bangladesh
Hello, This is Shakil Huq from Bangladesh. I am a matchbox collector and I have been collecting for a decade.
I’m a very passionate matchbox collector. I can’t think of a day without a matchbox. I design matchboxes as well, and have designed more than five hundred matchboxes to date.
I have my own Blog and YouTube channel about matchbox collecting, and I have also been president of the Bangladesh Matchbox Collectors Club since 2016.
I hope you like my exhibit. Thank you.
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Phil Stringer (UK)
Exhibit : Bizarre strikers
I collect many things but matchbox labels and related items hold my strongest interest. Having been involved in the hobby for more than fifty years I find myself particularly interested in the weird and wonderful and in this respect phillumeny doesn’t disappoint, I still find things that I would never even have imagined could exist.
Over the years I’ve amassed collections from an eclectic range of subjects including postage stamps, revenue stamps, fiscal documents, embossed crests and monograms, post cards, cigarette cards, beer mats, dice, coins, bank notes, bullets, Magazine of Art Annuals, Majolica green leaf plates, Portmeirion Totem ware, Irish wade ceramics, Holkham Pottery mugs, custard cups, bottles, fossils, rocks and crystals, shells, exotic seed heads, taxidermy, carved ebony elephants, Japanese lacquer ware, plus many sundry items that draw my attention but are insufficient in number to be described as collections.
Top of the list as my main and most extensive collectable interest is matchbox labels and other match related items especially the obscure and unusual.
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The tigers of Malaya
President’s Award winner 2021
Exhibitor : Badrul Hisham Jaafar
This exhibit focuses on the Tiger theme of match labels manufactured or used in the Federated Malay States, Malaya and Sarawak (all part of Malaysia). It is reported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) group that the Malayan Tigers are so endangered with less than 300 Malayan Tigers in the world of which only about 200 left in the wild. Let’s save our beautiful endangered tigers while enjoying the artistic match label designs of yesteryears.
The red coloured tiger label on the right is reputed as the first ever locally manufactured match brand of 1922 by the Malayan Matches Ltd of Selangor in the Federated Malay States (FMS). Prior to this all matches in Malaya were imported by local traders, particularly from Sweden, Great Britain, Japan, China and others. The tiger image has similar resemblance to that of a Malaya postage stamp. After enquiring, I realised that it was a matchbox label but unfortunately it was not for sale – it was the shop owner’s favourite and he was keeping it for himself. Some things, money just could not buy. To be honest, I didn’t dare to make an offer anyway. To me that’s an example of real love; an attachment.
That fateful event was the start of my eventual journey into phillumeny. After some years, I managed to acquire this beautiful red tiger label from a French collector. The rest, as they say, is history.
Tiger is a famous and important theme for Malaya. Evidently, it was used as a brand to symbolise courage and strength.
In 1933, Kelantan Match Factory (KMF) was established and interestingly, the company, still produces matches in Kota Bahru, Kelantan till this very day.
It has a reputation as one of the most prolific and famous local match manufacturers. Tiger Head and Two Tigers are two of KMF’s brands, more are shown in the gallery below. Various other tiger labels from KMF and variants do exist.
Back in the old days, rumours were rampant that Britain’s Bryant & May was considering a manufacturing set up in Perak, Malaya to take advantage of the abundance of wood and the new hydro-electric infrastructure. The rumours remain unrealised.
Instead, in 1936, the Perak Match Factory (PMF) was established. Their early label designs are quite similar to Kelantan’s KMF as they share common shareholders.
In late 1940s, Sarawak Match Factory was established in East Malaysia but ceased operation sometime in the mid-1960s.
Imported matches were also in abundance and Penang’s Lam Tong is one such fine example. The matches were imported from Hong Kong.
The tiger is considered an iconic brand for various products. One particular example is the Tiger Beer. On the right is a matchbox advert for Tiger Beer by Fraser & Neave Distributors (F&N) branded locally as Chop Rimau (the word “Chop” means brand while “Rimau” a shorten form of “Harimau” or Tiger in Malay language).
Some more Tiger labels are shown below, click on an image to enlarge it.
Crown and Tiger, Perak Match Factory
Palm and Tiger, Kelantan Match Factory
Harimau, Perak Match Factory
Flying Tiger, Sarawak Match Factory
Mike Pryor (UK)
Exhibit : Cycling
Specialism – Spain
Since meeting the legendary collector and founder of the Cornish Match Company in 1971, David van der Plank, I have had a deep interest in Spanish Matchboxes and the history of the Spanish Match industry which began in 1836.
My collection contains Spanish examples from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, and although the majority of these are labels I do have a good number of beautiful complete boxes.
Like most collectors I also have many examples from other countries, and prefer complete boxes wherever possible. I also always enjoy exchanging information with other collectors and learning new things about our wonderful hobby of phillumeny.
Publications and Web sites
I write regular articles for the Match Label News, which is the journal of the British Matchbox Label and Bookmatch Society.
I have also developed two web sites which focus on specific aspects of my collection :
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Gross packet label, a few Spanish Inserts The Old Cornish Mine web site describes the history of the series which first got me interested in collecting, and shows illustrations of all the labels known to have been issued www.old-Cornish-mines.co.uk
- Spanish Matchbox Inserts (Fototipias) web site is dedicated to the history and beauty of the Insert cards which were issued in Spanish matchboxes between 1897 and 1910 www.inserts.org.uk
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Leif Persson (Sweden)
Exhibit : Geography outside the box
When I’m not collecting, I’m a carpenter, working on cultural-historical projects. I live in Stockholm, but mostly love being in our old house in the country.
I, like many others, collected matchboxes when I was a child in the 70s, and got together a pretty nice collection compared to my friends who also collected. I guess I was a little more involved, and I also had a mother that was a prominent collector. But everything was shut down for a long time, until one day I took the boxes out of the basement, back to the world.
Today I’m a diligent collector and hobby researcher in the field. My driving force is not to have a complete collection of anything, it is to find the stories that the labels tell, either in themselves, or as all together, and what they then show about their time. The labels are keyholes through which I can look at history, they are preserved time capsules.
For this year’s BMLBS exhibition, I have put together a contribution I call “Geography outside the box”. A story about odd places, about countries that have disappeared, that perhaps never existed, about countries that have been created, or just wanted to be. A journey around the world, outside the box.
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Kevin McCarthy (UK)
Exhibit : Japanese labels with Chinese flags
I started collecting matchboxes like many others of my generation. I certainly had some by the time I started my first school, despite the attempts of my mother to dissuade me from picking them up from the ground. But that was what you could do in those times! I could obtain some six to a dozen specimens (some admittedly in very poor condition) within a ten minute walk to the shops or school.
Over the years my interest in collecting matchbox labels has come and gone, but I seriously began collecting after school.
Despite attempting to “control” the sheer volume of my collection, it continued to grow, as did my interest in the stories behind the labels, the factories that made the matches, and researching the match industry throughout the world.
I was fortunate to meet with a fellow collector, Richard Tolson, and together we formed TM Labels, a joint collection.
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Joel Viana de Lemos (Portugal)
Exhibit : Angola
I have residency in Lisbon, Portugal but I am currently living in Växjo, Sweden.
I was born in 1955 and started collecting matchbox labels and matchbooks when I was about 4 years old. Knowing about my interest in the hobby some of the phillumenists in the city of Porto encouraged me with some interesting offers. The publication in 1962 of the first catalogue of matchbox labels in Portugal allowed me to properly organize my collection. The 2nd edition of the catalogue published in 1965 and the monthly edition of the magazine “Filumenismo” gave a great boost to my development as a phillumenist.
I went on to specialise in all the material related to Portugal or that circulated in the Portuguese market and its colonies, namely Macau. My collection of Italian matchboxes/panels that circulated in Portugal in the 19th Century is very significant and formed the basis of my Exhibit in 2021.
I am a founding partner of the APF – “Associação Portuguesa de Filumenismo” (founded in 1972), and currently its President.
I have published the following phillumenistic works, which can be purchased from APF :
- Catalogue of Portuguese Matchbox Labels. Edition 1992 (co-author, text in Portuguese):
- Catalogue of Matchbox Labels – Companhia Portugueza de Phosphoros – Series – 1895-1926. 1st edition 2003; 2nd edition 2008; 3rd edition 2020
- Catalogue of Matchbox Labels – Portugal – XIX century. 1st edition 2011; 2nd edition 2014; 3rd edition 2022
- Catalogue of Italian Matchboxes imported by Portugal – XIX century. 1st edition 2013; under publication 2nd edition
- Addendum to the Catalogue of Matchbox Labels – Macau – 2016 edition (co-author, text in Portuguese)
- Advertising Skillets and Bookmatches List – Macau – 2016 (co-author, text in Portuguese)
- Phillumeny records – Portuguese Phillumeny Exhibitions – 2022
- Phillumeny records – Portuguese Phillumeny Catalogues and publications – 2022
- Phillumeny records – Matchbox labels produced abroad to Portuguese speaking territories – 2023
- Phillumeny records – Postcard in Phillumeny – 2023
- Portuguese matchbook holders records – 2023
- Matchbox holders (grips – slides – match safes) records – Portugal – 2023
- Global addendum – Labels, skillets, matchbooks and their respective packet labels/packing papers – Addendum to different Portuguese catalogues – 2023 (co-author)
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Jerry Bell (Australia)
Exhibit : How a TV valve led to a lifetime’s hobby
I started collecting match covers in England in 1948 and joined the BML&BS in 1952. I have collected continuously since then, I am particularly fortunate that my work took me all over the world, and I now live in Melbourne, Australia, where I have been a member of the Australian Society for over 40 years.
I have written the history of the Australian Match Industry, “Lighting Up Australia”, and the second edition of this has just been published. I have also authored two catalogues on early labels imported into Australia and Neighbouring Countries, “Average Contents 60” and “Historical Notes on 19th and early 20th Century Matchbox Labels and Cinderellas for Australia, New Zealand and Neighbouring Countries”.
My book and both catalogues are available from the Australian Society, and “Average Contents 60” is available from the British Society Bookshop.
I also edited the Australian club magazine, the Observer, for 10 years, and am a frequent contributor to this and the British Match Label News.
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Ian Macilwain (UK)
Exhibit : My Romanian adventure
I am a retired psychiatrist who has devoted retirement to making a series of self-published photobooks on whisky, Romania, walking and cheese making ! My lifelong matchbox collecting started at the age of 12 while waiting for a bus to go to school. My hobby is always in the background and it only takes an unusual box to ignite the fire! (not literally)
I was propelled into collecting labels at the age of 12 when, leaning over a fence waiting for the school bus I set eyes on a box of Scottish Bluebell which attracted my attention (I was in Hampshire and this was a rare label to me probably dropped by a soldier, as it was an Army camp). My friend who was with me wanted it for his collection but I decided somewhat selfishly that it would make a good start to mine !!
I joined the BML&BS in 1970 and was a member for ten years, lapsing when I had a wife and children. I specialised in Eastern Europe and had many collector pen pals in The DDR, Czechoslovakia and Poland.
The hobby has never lost its allure and now that I am retired I am revisiting the fantastic archive which the collection had become. Every label carries a story and is like a time capsule to my childhood years.
Maybe with advancing years I will re-find the fascination that I used to have for this unusual hobby. Somewhat ironically I have lived in Scotland for half my life surrounded by more Scottish Bluebells than I would care to count.
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The Portuguese presence in India
Committee’s Award winner 2023
Exhibitor : Joel Viana de Lemos
Click here for Portuguese language version
On July 8th, 1497, a fleet of three sailing ships left Lisbon – the S. Gabriel, the S. Rafael and the Bérrio – and a small ship with supplies. The fleet was commanded by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama and aimed to discover the maritime route from Europe to India.
On May 17th, 1498, the fleet reached Kappakadavu, near Calicut, in the present Indian state of Kerala.
In addition to the important trade relationships it established, Portugal maintained a permanent presence in the state of Goa for around 450 years, until 1961.
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Match industry in Goa
The most important match factory in Goa was the Companhia Fosforeira de Goa, LDA
Some of the matchboxes produced by this factory can be seen below.
Note: On each label and matchbox are indicated the references of the “Catálogo das etiquetas de caixas de fósforos – Portugal / Catalogue of Portuguese Matchbox labels” published in 1996 and 2013 and on the last four labels the references of the Swedish catalogue “Katalog över Svenska Tändsticksetiketter” published by Arne Tejder in 1963. Measurements refer to the printed area and are in millimetres.
- Goa Match Works
- B&C Industrial Factory – St Cruz, Goa
- Bragança Y Ca – Nova Goa
The Gallery below shows all the known matchbox labels produced in Goa. Click on an image to enlarge it.
Portefeuilles
President’s Award and Members’ Award winner 2024
Exhibitor : Stephane Pinaud
Click here for French language version
The matchbox known as “Portefeuille” is a box format that dates back to the middle of the 19th century. The oldest one we know of is from the manufacturer Roche & Cie in Marseille and dates from 1848, but there were certainly older ones.
This box format existed in France in different sizes until the mid-1950s. This exhibit shows this beautiful history through a few examples from my collection.
Patriotic WWII War Slogans
Committee’s Award winner 2024
Exhibitor : David Figg
During World War II, four of Australia’s match manufacturers issued box labels bearing patriotic war slogans and maxims. The firms were : Bryant & May (Melbourne), W. A. Match Co. (Perth), Federal Match Company (Sydney) and Duncan’s (also of Melbourne).
As well as the box size labels shown here, there was one dozen packet label issued by Bryant & May which encouraged the population to “Eat, Drink, Wear, Use – Australian Made Goods”.
Naturally, this was in the days when a box of matches contained 60 sticks, the box was made of wood instead of cardboard, and the product itself was also 100% made in Australia, a “striking” contrast to the situation today where all are now imported.
Murder on Fuencarral street
Members’ Award winner 2021
Exhibitor : Jesús María Bollo García
Click here for Spanish language version
This is the story of an horrific murder which was committed in Madrid in 1888, and the famous trial which followed, as shown on contemporary matchboxes manufactured by Garay and Arregui who quickly spotted an opportunity to boost sales by using images of the protagonists on their boxes.
Note : single labels are shown below but unfortunately I do not have a complete box from this series. However, on the right is a card-outer label from a different series produced by Garay y Arregui in 1889.
The Crime
It was 2:30 in the morning on the 2nd of July 1888 when the residents of 109 Calle de Fuencarral raised the alarm, after they heard shouting from the second floor flat followed by thick black smoke coming from a window. The police broke down the door and discovered the body of Doña Luciana Borcino de Varela lying dead in her bed, face up. She had been stabbed three times in the chest, and her body was wrapped in wet oily rags which had been set alight.
In the room next door they found her new maid servant, Higinia Balaguer Ostalé, lying unconscious on the floor lying next to a sedated bulldog.
Doña Luciana Borcino de Varela was a wealthy widow, 50 years old, who lived in the flat with her feckless son José Vázquez-Varela, 23 years old, who was always asking his mother for money. He was currently in the Cárcel Modelo prison for the third time after committing another misdemeanor. He had previously been in jail for hitting his own mother and on another occasion for slashing his girlfriend Dolores Gutiérrez with a razor. Doña Luciana was known as a strong, severe woman who had difficulty retaining servants – Higinia had only been with her for six days. The autopsy showed that one of the stab wounds had been fatal, and that she had been burned after she was dead.
The police arrested Higinia as the prime suspect and sent her to the Women’s Prison, although the motive for the crime was unclear. Higinia said that when she returned to the flat on the evening of 1st July Doña Luciana was with a man and they told her to go to bed, then when she woke up the flat was full of dense acrid smoke. In one of four different confessions she made Higinia accused José of committing the murder, saying that he had threatened her with violence and offered her money telling her to buy the petrol, clean up the blood and burn the body. But how could he have committed the murder when he was in prison ?
Higinia had arrived at Calle Fuencarral recommended by Sr. Millán Astray. He was the interim director of the Cárcel Modelo and had previously employed Higinia as his maid. It was also common knowledge that prisoners were able to leave the prison whenever they wanted to, and José had often been seen in the streets.
The Trial
The Trial commenced on 26th March 1889, and was notable because it was the first time that “Acción Popular” was used in a Spanish court, allowing any Spanish citizen to appear as a witness even if they were not directly involved in the crime. The Newspaper Editors enthusiastically exercised this right, because they considered that the Trial was full of irregularities and suspected political motives in the background. The Newspapers started reporting court proceedings for the first time and this Trial was big news.
Higinia was the central character in the Trial, a good-looking illiterate girl of 28 years, who achieved a certain notoriety not only because of her ‘star performances’ in the dock but also because she changed her statement four times – from accepting sole responsibility for the murder to accusing others.
The prosecution decided that Higenia must have had help to commit the crime, and that her motive was robbery. She identified her friend Dolores Ávila (“Lola la Billetera”) as a collaborator and the actual murderer, but in her final testimony Higinia stated that José killed his mother, and that Sr. Millán had planned the crime, and they paid her generously for letting them into the flat. Also, records show that Sr. Millán spoke privately with Higinia in prison and also with Dolores after she had been incarcerated, both of which were highly irregular.
Many aspects of the case remained unexplained – where was the murder weapon, how was the dog tranquilized, and whose were the five cigarette butts on the floor near the body (Higinia didn’t smoke) ?
The Verdict
The Trial concluded on 29th May 1889, with a verdict of Guilty of Murder and Robbery. The judge sentenced Higinia to death by Garrote Vil, Dolores to 18 years in prison as accomplice and absolved José and Sr Millán of any blame. There was a massive public outcry at the verdict, but it was upheld.
Higinia was executed on 19th June in front of 20,000 people – this was the last public execution to be held in Spain. Just before the executioner applied the garrote Higinia cried out “¡Dolores, 14000 duros!” Soon after, Sr. Millán stepped down from his post, as did the President of the Supreme Court.
This famous case has been made into a film and a TV series, a play, many books and articles have been written about it, and it continues to intrigue criminology students many of whom see it as a huge miscarriage of justice where the rich get away with the crime and the servants take the blame.
Here are more labels with images of other actors in the Trial, click on an image to enlarge it.
Maria Ávila, sister of Dolores
Dolores Ávila
The bulldog
Jesús María Bollo García (Spain)
Exhibit : Garay – five generations of a match dynasty
In 1955 there was a joint military base of the American-Spanish army in Torrejón de Ardoz, a town near Madrid. For senior military officials, the American army rented or bought (I don’t know exactly which) a hotel that was located very close to the house where I lived – the Hotel Balboa.
I had to walk past this hotel every day on my way to the Institute where I was studying, and I started noticing and then collecting the matchboxes that the soldiers threw down on the ground when they had used all the matches. These boxes came from the supermarket inside the base which sold only American products.
This is how I started to acquire the wonderful series of “Circus Day”, “Homes of Great Americans”, “The Old West”, “American Folklore” and other examples from Diamond Match Company. Later, I naturally started collecting Spanish labels which became my specialism and passion, but always finding room for a few interesting items from other countries.
In 2018 I published “Los Fabricantes de Cerillas” a 2-volume illustrated book which describes the history of the Spanish Match Industry from 1834 to 1899 based on the archives of the Digital Newspaper Library of the National Library and the Historical Archive of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.
At the moment I am preparing a Catalogue of the Manufacturers of Spanish matchboxes, although given the complexity of the subject and the difficulty of finding information about these manufacturers I realise that the Catalogue may never see the light of day.
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Hans Everink (Netherlands)
Exhibit : Thumbtack labels
My name is Hans Everink, 62 years old and I live in the Netherlands.
My passion for matchbox labels started when I was a little boy from 10 years old. At that time I also collected stamps, cigarbands and many other items which you could collect for free. But after some years I stopped with a lot of these items and focused on collecting matchbox labels, matchboxes and matchcovers from all over the world.
When I became older I also started to visit general collector fairs and specialist collector fairs for meeting other collectors with the same hobby. I exchanged a lot with collectors in the Netherlands and also with foreign collectors by post and at international fairs, like Belgium or Germany.
After years of collecting everything about matches, I now only collect matchbox labels from everywhere. I also have an extensive collection of match holders and have my own website dedicated to the hobby.
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Gísli Jóhann Sigurðsson (Iceland)
Exhibit : US Navy bookmatches
Land of ice and fire – how I started collecting matchbox labels
When I started collecting matchboxes in 1962 or 1963 (10 – 11 years old) it was very common for boys in Siglufjörður to do so. Siglufjörður is a small town in northern Iceland that is surrounded by high mountains and in those years was only open to cars due to snow for about 4 months of the year. Other transport was by sea twice a week.
During the summer, a lot of life moved into the town because ships came there from Europe for the herring as well as other people from other parts of Iceland to work with the herring. The harbours were not fenced off and closed as they are today and we went on board every single ship that came to get matchboxes in exchange. I usually went with a few packets and offered an exchange, but usually opened the packages and exchanged 1 for 1 box.
Most of the boys kept their collection in boxes from biscuits or shoeboxes, and for me it was 2 or 3 drawers in a chest of drawers. The biscuit boxes and shoe boxes then often end up in the attic. When I got a little collection started my father saw that I was very interested in this. He was a fisherman on herring boats and trawlers, he started collecting with me and was soon in touch with a Danish woman who was a collector, he read an article she had written in a Danish book called Hvem Hvad Hvor. From her he obtained information about the BML&BS which we joined. When I was 19 years old, I moved to Reykjavík and set aside the collection for many years.
From time to time I flipped through the album collection when I came to visit my family home. About 20 years ago my father called me and said that now I had to come and take the collection, because he was starting to lose so much sight that he could not continue anymore. He wanted me to have the collection and take care of it but he was going to view the collection from time to time in a similar way as I had done. So I drove north with a trailer on the back of our car and picked it up. The collection is now 155 books of labels.
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Rathkamp Convention : 14-21 August 2022
Our friends at the Rathkamp Matchcover Society have announced the dates of this year’s Convention : 14th to 21st August 2022 at the Doubletree Westlake, 1100 Crocker Rd., Westlake, OH 44145. RMS is celebrating its 80th year in 2022.
Full details of the Convention can be found on their web site
Flor Millán Herrera (Spain)
Exhibit : Goya and Phillumeny
Flor Millán Herrera is one of the foremost phillumenists in Spain, and along with her husband Javier has given huge support and encouragement to many collectors over the years.
Flor and Javier live in Zaragoza which is where Javier worked for the Spanish match company Fosforera Española. In a career of over 40 years, spent between Zaragoza and Madrid, they accumulated a vast knowledge of the way matches were designed, made and distributed throughout the Iberian peninsula and beyond. They hold an impressive archive of company documentation as well as an extensive collection of Spanish match box labels.
Javier is a huge admirer of Francisco de Goya and has a collection of over 4500 books concerning the works and life of the great Spanish painter.
Flor is extremely generous sharing her expertise and enthusiasm with other phillumenists and has contributed a number of articles to Match Label News in the last few years.
The BML&BS is delighted to welcome Flor as a guest exhibitor this year.
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August magazine
The August magazine has now been posted to members, which includes all the latest information about Phillumeny, all Society Events and the forthcoming Society Auctions.
Ed Wright (Canada)
Exhibit : World War II propaganda bookmatches
I was Born in Luton, Bedfordshire and attended Westminster College where I trained as a chef. My career allowed me to travel and work in 7 different countries before I emigrated to Canada in 1973. I worked in Jasper, Alberta in the Rockies for two years as well as Edmonton Alberta. I ended my career as a Professor at George Brown College in Toronto where I taught for 32 years. I retired 5 years ago and have been trying to catch up on my hobby ever since.
I initially got into collecting when I was a schoolboy. A family friend and neighbour worked in the employee canteen at the Electrolux Plant and nearly every day she would bring me bags and bags of discarded matchboxes home to sort for something to do during the school holidays. This certainly kept me occupied and began a life long interest. Over the years, my hobby has expanded into other areas which as well as Match Box Labels, includes Matchbooks, Vesta Boxes, Strikers, Match Crates as well as miscellaneous Match Ephemera etc.
My greatest interest is in Foreign Made Labels, Wartime Propaganda, of which I also have a collection of celluloid grips, British Royalty, Airlines, as well as old Canadian Matchboxes especially those with Tax Stamps.
As a child, I was a very early member of the Trans Canada Match Club and when I arrived in Toronto I decided to re-join as the meetings were held close to my home. I told Pat Griffiths, one of the original founding members and he gave me my old, original number back which was quite an early one. We still meet up from time to time to trade and discuss new finds locally, which sadly are dwindling, due to the decline here in Canada of the popularity of matches.
Now I have retired I have also joined the Rathkamp Matchcover Society in the USA who have a yearly convention. This year it is in Kentucky and I will be attending this with a friend who is also a collector.
I have a large circle of collectors I trade with via mail and would be more than happy to add anyone interested to this list.
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David Figg (Australia)
Exhibit : Patriotic WWII War Slogans
It was 1960 when as a 9-year-old boy walking to school that I kicked over a matchbox in the gutter only to find that it had a picture on it (Brymay Birds & Animals issue) so took it to school, showed my mates and we started collecting. They soon lost interest and so I acquired their holdings to complete my set.
I had a Great Aunt in the UK who also sent me labels and so my collection slowly grew. The labels were soaked off and pasted in an exercise book.
In 1967, I learnt of the existence of the Australian Match Cover Collectors Society (AMCCS) through a work colleague of my late father at Parker Brothers Bakery who took his son to the meetings. This was to be the start of a life-long passion for the hobby.
In 1970, this Profile was published in the AMCCS magazine, the Observer and yes, I did meet a “little Miss” marrying Dianne in 1977. Children followed in 1981 & 1983 and three grandsons in 2014, 2019 & 2020.
COMMITTEE SERVICE, ETC.
Secretary AMCCS (SA) 1984-1986
President AMCCS (SA) 1987 to present
Observer Editor May 1990 to February 1999
Life Membership AMCCS 2002
Honorary Life Membership (International) Bangladesh Matchbox Collectors Club 2022
Observer Distributor since 2009
Annual Postal Auction Coordinator since 2009
Coordinator of National Match Exhibitions held in Adelaide in 1999, 2003, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024
Attendee & Trader at BML&BS Exhibitions held in 2000, 2005, 2009 & 2017
SPECIALISATION AREAS
Collecting areas for labels, booklets & skillets are Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea & South Africa. World-wide hardware produced by or for the match manufacturers together with any ephemera allied to the match industry, particularly picture postcards are also collected.
PUBLICATIONS & ARTICLES
Author of –
Duncan’s of Australia
E.L. Bell & Co, Australian Match Works & Commonwealth Match Works
Co-Author/Contributor to –
Bryant & May Australia Parts 1 & 2
Federal Match Company, Australia
Redheads Skillets
Plyfiber, Australia
The Cheapies (Imports to Australia)
New Zealand Catalogue 2023
Numerous articles in the Observer, Match Label News & IMSA News
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Hi-no-Yojin (fire prevention in Japan)
Committee’s Award winner 2021
Exhibitor : Takeshi Yokomizo
Click here for Japanese language version
From olden days until recently, Japanese houses were mostly built from wood. When towns and cities developed and wooden houses were built densely, fire became an especially big hazard. Wooden constructions prompted fire to spread quickly and people constantly suffered from many conflagrations throughout history. The fear of fire disaster and the importance of awareness of fire prevention were shared by people and communities throughout the country.
“Hi-no-Yojin” was, and still is a popular fire prevention slogan (in English this means “Watch out the fire”). Boxes of matches carrying this slogan started appearing in the early Showa-era (the late 1920’s till early 1940’s), and played a big part in raising people’s awareness of the danger.
The production of advertisement-matches burgeoned in the early Showa-era. Most match factories in Japan were of a relatively small scale and able to accept small orders for local clients. These labels became a good advertising medium for campaigning about fire prevention on a community basis. Some of these fire-prevention match labels featured equipment and symbolic objects relating to fire-fighting.
From the early 1920’s till 1960’s, fire watch-towers made of an iron framework were installed in every fire station.
A fire watch-ladder together with a fire-pump house were deployed to community-based volunteer fire companies (about 2,400 of them nationwide).
The fire watch-ladder played a key role in raising the alarm by ringing a fire-bell attached to the top of the tower. However, most watch-towers and watch-ladders fell into disuse as houses and buildings became taller.
Night-Watch for fire prevention in the winter started in 1648, in the Edo period. During the winter, a group of locals patrolled their neighbourhood area at night. They struck clappers and called out “Watch out the fire. A single match causes a fire!” while walking. Night-watch has been one of the seasonal traditions in Japan but complaints about the noise of the clapper increased and became an issue.
In the 18th century, the first official fire-company was formed in the capital Edo (Tokyo). It consisted of 48 regional and 16 capital brigades.
Matoi represented each brigade and were used like a flag. Fire-fighters rushed to the site and placed Matoi at the top of the roof showing local people their presence. The 48 regional brigades were mostly identified by the old Japanese alphabet (48 in total) like, “E-brigade, Ro-brigade, Ha-brigade…”.
The installation of fire-alarms in urban areas started in 1920. Modern fire extinguishers were distributed widely but fire-extinguishing buckets are still regularly installed as a basic fire extinguishing tool. The top cause for fire in the capital Tokyo has been careless smoking.
More Fire Prevention labels from the early Showa-era are shown in the gallery below, click on an image to enlarge it.
Clappers, for Itabashi Fire Station
Matoi for Osaka Fire Brigade
Matoi by Kobayashi Match Ltd
For Nishijin Municipal Association
For Okita Fire Insurance Company
For Lion Tooth Paste
Fire bucket, unknown client
Hinomi-hashigo, unknown client
Kidlington meeting announced for January 2023
We’re pleased to announce that the Kidlington meeting will be back in 2023 after its absence due to Covid.
It will take place on Sunday January 15th 2023 from 09:00 to 15:00.
More details can be found here.