Philumenistics is collecting matches. History and interesting facts

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:47

People of different nationalities, despite the mentality of their countries, all have a penchant for collecting. They collect everything in a row, from well-known brands, coins and beer cans to exclusive vintage cars. In this article, we will get acquainted with another common type of collecting.

If you have never heard the word "phylumenistics" before in your life, it does not matter. Such a rare name has the area of collecting matchbox labels or the packaging for matches themselves. These light sticks are produced in all countries of the world, so there are actually quite a few philumenists.

On the forums, there are often correspondence among match lovers who brag about their collections and put them up for exchange or sale. There is even a club for philumenists, where you can get information about rare specimens and the history of releases of a particular series of packages.

Who invented matches?

In the history of medieval China, wooden sticks with ends soaked in sulfur were used. But they were set on fire by burning tinder. Then Jean Chancel, a chemist from France, invented in 1805 match heads that needed to be in contact.with sulfuric acid. These were the so-called chemical matches. Collectors are known in the world of collecting match labels, who have the first, released in 1813 in Vienna, chemical matches of the Malyard and Wick manufactory.

It is believed that the invention of modern matches belongs to John Walker. As early as 1826, according to the historical records of his account books, the first package of matches with friction was sold. This is a pharmacist and chemist from Stockton-on-Tees in Britain.

First Collectors

It was at this time that the mass production of these consumer products began. With the advent of packages of self-igniting sticks, people who want to collect them immediately appear. In the same period, the formation of clubs, communities, and experts in the field of phylumenistics begins. These are the first specialists to study the manufactured goods.

Already after the Second World War, literature was published on various types of matches, describing different subspecies, what topics certain labels are devoted to. Now each country has its own communities that have international contacts with clubs from other countries. The largest and world famous is The British Matchbox Label & Booklet Society.

Philumenistics is a term literally translated from Greek as philos - "love" and lumen - "fire". The proposal to name this area of collectibles belongs to Marjorie Evans. This British collector has combined a combination of datawords back in 1943. In the Soviet Union, too, many were fond of this interesting business.

Initially, this area of collecting was called phylumenistics. This is considered an old name, now more often called collecting by another term - "phylumenia".

Types of matches

Let's look at what kind of matches attract collectors. In addition to the usual boxes used in everyday life, there are also special ones that not all people use.

Storm, or in other words - hunting, sailors or hunters take with them on campaigns. Such matches burn well in strong winds and do not deteriorate from moisture.

Thermal - give a lot of heat when burned.

Photographic - formerly used as a flash.

Fireplace matches are large matches. They kindle a fire in the fireplaces.

Gas - a little smaller than the fireplace. They light gas burners.

Signal - when burning, the flame has bright contrasting colors.

Cigar - they are larger than regular specimens. After all, lighting a cigar is not so easy, it takes a long time.

Let's take a closer look at the next view.

Decorative matches

What does a philumenist collect? For the most part, these are matches that are produced in limited quantities. They are dedicated to some memorable dates, significant events in the life of a country or a given city. Yes, and the wooden sticks themselves have different colors of sulfur. They can be green, pink oreven blue.

Back in the days of the Soviet Union, entire sets were produced for lovers of phylumenistics. These are gift sets of boxes dedicated to a theme. For example, about space, dogs, railroads, cars, etc. Sometimes sets of match labels were produced especially for philumenists. For example, from 1960 to 1980, the Balabanov Experimental Match Factory produced sets of 100 labels for collecting. Such souvenir products contained both complete sets and without grosses. These are labels from box lids and side tapes.

B altic label manufacturers also produced such gift sets in Soviet times.

Russian Collectors

The definition of the word "phylumenistics" was not yet known in Russia, and matches had not yet been produced, and the first collectors had already brought interesting boxes from trips abroad. At first it was a simple curiosity, and a desire to show off an unprecedented miracle to relatives, but even during the First World War, information about a collection of boxes of 1000 copies was published in a magazine.

With the coming to power of the revolutionaries, such a hobby was considered a relic of the bourgeois system. Many collections were destroyed. Only in the 30s was permission officially given. And in the 1960s, the first phylumenia sections were organized.

Current situation

Back in the late 90s there were only two collectors' clubs in Russiamatch labels. With the advent of the Internet, phylumenia also received a new round of development. St. Petersburg and Moscow even publish the magazines "Moscow Philumenist", "Sphinx", "Nevsky Philumenist".

There are clubs of philumenists in large cities, websites and forums are organized where interesting collections or individual items are exchanged or sold.