Antique Late 19th Century Promotional Advertisement Sheet Metal Wall Hanging “Friction” or “ Lucifer” Match Striker/Keeper

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Antique wall hanging promotional, advertising “friction match” striker from M. Munson Groceries & Provisions in Center Rutland, Vermont. Striker is … Read more Antique wall hanging promotional, advertising “friction match” striker from M. Munson Groceries & Provisions in Center Rutland, Vermont. Striker is made from sheet metal , there is a hole in the rear sheet of the keeper for hanging it in a wall. Historically , wall hanging match strikers were hung near stoves or fireplaces in ones living space. This striker isn’t in pristine condition, but unlike most of the other promotional strikers I’ve seen, this piece still has all of its advertising lettering intact. I didn’t successfully research M.Munson groceries, but I do know that white phosphorus was outlawed for use in match making in 1910 in the United States, so I’d assume that this striker dates from between 1827 ( that’s a year after John Walker “ invented” friction matches, which he didn’t patent. Samuel Jones starting selling “Lucifer matches” , which were a copy of the matches formulated by Walker, in 1829) & 1910. The match production workforce, comprised of mostly women & children , were fiend to be suffering from a condition called “ phossy jaw”. Approximately 11% of matchstick factory workers who were exposed to white phosphorus fumes developed the condition within 5 years time. The condition medically known as “ Osteonecrosis” ( a form of bone cancer) was a brutal, debilitating condition that caused tooth decay, jaw bone loss and slow bone rot. During the time that Phossy Jaw was affecting workers , it was compared to leprosy because of the shared exile of sufferers shared by both conditions. The only advantage of Phossy Jaw was it’s lack of contagiousness, the smell of the dying bones was apparently very unpleasant not to mention the physical deterioration of one’s appearance. People suffering from Phossy Jaw were not able to continue working , the luckiest of sufferers would be awarded a few months wages when being let go due to their condition. The “ Matchgirls Strike of 1888” is a fascinating event in women’s and labor history , all of the conditions put forth by the strikers who were largely women & girls were met. This match striker is a reminder of a mostly long forgotten history of an era past. See less