Matchbox Labels: Over 2,000 Elegant Examples from All Over the World

by Jane Smith and Natasha Lomas

2 400 miniature masterpieces

A matchbox label collector is called a phillumenist But you don't have to be one to love these tiny works of art The popularity of collecting matchboxes is growing because they are affordable and a joy to look at

Matchbox Labels features 2 400 of the best specimens, chosen for their charm and beauty The matchbook labels are organized geographically, sorted within each group by theme,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1552979784
• ISBN13: 9781552979785
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 2.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 8.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Small time pleasures.

I bought this as I'm interested in popular graphics and the two thousand samples included certainly capture the flavor of this tiny corner of the printed ephemera market. The book is very well designed and printed but ultimately I was rather disappointed with the contents. There is a sameness about so many of these labels. The huge number from the old Soviet Union and the Eastern Block certainly look similar, only to be expected I guess but other nations output also seem bland and unimaginative. Perhaps the reason is that most of the labels included are brands rather than advertising labels that are so common today. Strangely none of the labels are dated but I would guess that most of them were produced several decades ago and the cheapness of liquid lighters now has reduced match output. As another reviewer has commented the absence of North American product maybe also explains the lack of pizzazz and color. The matchbook was the flame of choice for Americans and there are no examples of these included. This will probably be the standard book about matchbox labels because it is so comprehensive. The American matchbook is another story; their colorful design and huge output over the years will still produce occasional new titles. The one I like best is:Close Cover Before Striking: The Golden Age of Matchcover Art (Recollectibles) with several hundred matchbook covers in an attractively designed book. ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.