The book of matchbox labels

Abstract

"A lifelong collector of matchboxes, the author's career as musician, journalist and public relations consultant has involved extensive international travel--and enabled him to keep adding to his collection and make research visits to remote match factories. Fascinated by the diversity of graphic design found on matchbox labels, and by the use of the matchbox as a communication medium, he has used his personal collection as a treasure trove of knowledge from which to draw on as the basis for this book."--book jacket.

Contents

Introduction -- The first matches -- Matchbox messages -- To communicate or decorate? -- Birth of the world's biggest brands -- Image is everything -- Striking success -- Quality, please -- Trains, boats & flying machines -- Variety: The spice of sales -- Mass communication matchboxes -- The matchbox goes commercial -- Boom or burnout? -- Sets appeal -- Disappearing by design: The matchbox makeover -- Matchbox milestones.