General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

TIN PLATE/ MIRROR GLASS

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

17.2 cm

Width

9.5 cm

Height

17.5 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Lighting Technology

Category

Miscellaneous

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Davidson

Country

Canada

State/Province

Québec

City

Montréal

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

EARLY 20TH C.

Canada

ITEM FROM COLLECTION OF DENIS B. ALSFORD (1929-2004). BORN IN BRITAIN, MR. ALSFORD WORKED AT BRITISH MUSEUM UNTIL EMIGRATING TO CANADA IN 1968, BECOMING WELL KNOWN FIGURE IN CANADIAN MUSEUM COMMUNITY. HE WAS CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS FOR ETHNOLOGY DIVISION OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN IN OTTAWA FOR TWENTY YEARS, PLANNED ARTIFACT STORAGE FACILITY IN NEW MUSEUM OF CIVILISATION IN GATINEAU WHICH OPENED IN 1989, & WAS FELLOW OF CANADIAN MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION. HIS COLLECTION OF MATCH HOLDERS NUMBERED OVER ONE THOUSAND; HE WAS ACTIVE MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL MATCH SAFE ASSOCIATION & AUTHORED SEVERAL BOOKS & ARTICLES ON SUBJECT (SEE BIOGRAPHY IN 2004.0024 SUPP. INFO.). EXAMPLE OF CANADIAN MADE MATCH HOLDER. THOMAS DAVIDSON MFG. CO. OF MONTREAL WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1860; ITS 1901 CATALOGUE CONTAINED TWELVE ITEMS THAT WERE MATCH HOLDERS OF INCORPORATED MATCH HOLDERS IN DESIGN, INCLUDING THIS DRESSING CASE TYPE (REF. 2).

Function

CONTAINER FOR MATCHES WHICH COULD BE USED TO LIGHT CANDLES & LAMPS, START FIRES IN STOVES & FIREPLACES FOR HEATING & COOKING, FOR SEALING WAX FOR LETTERS, & FOR LIGHTING CIGARETTES, PIPES ETC. THIS TYPE WOULD BE MOUNTED ON WALL & HAS MIRROR & RECEPTACLE FOR COMB, BRUSH ETC.

Technical

EXAMPLE OF DRESSING CASE TYPE OF MATCH HOLDER, IN WHICH TWO MATCH HOLDERS ARE ATTACHED TO BACK PLATE, IN THIS CASE WITH MIRROR MOUNTED BETWEEN THEM, WITH TRAY BELOW TO HOLD COMB OR HAIR BRUSH.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

BLACK LETTERING ON GOLD PAINTED AREA OF BACK PLATE JUST BELOW DECORATED AREA READS "THE THOS. DAVIDSON MFG. CO. LTD. MONTREAL"

Missing

COMPLETE

Finish

PAINTED GOLD WITH MULTICOLOURED LITHOGRAPHED DESIGNS/ SILVERED GLASS

Decoration

MULTICOLOURED FLORAL DESIGNS ON BACKPLATE & TRAY