“France still produces abominable sulphurous State-made matches (the manufacture of matches being a State monopoly). The label designs are sometimes poor and the colouring crude… One of the earliest German labels, issued in 1835, illustrates, by drawing, how to ignite the match by rubbing it on the box. Even the most ignorant person knew how to light a match, and the label appears a very futile one.” – A J Cruse, Matchbox Labels Of The World, With a History of Fire-Making Appliances from Primitive Man to the Modern Match, together with a History of the World’s Labels (1946).

Further opinionated matchbox label observations are likely to follow, so watch this space. Many thanks to Ed Baxter.