Hi Katilynn,
I've had matchbooks in my collections many times over the years and have handled them a couple different ways. You could wrap them individually in poly bags or even in tissue, to prevent motion that may cause friction and therefore ignition, and perhaps store them inside a tight metal container that would help mitigate risk should matches ignite. You can also, as you mentioned, remove just the heads from the matches to eliminate the ignition risk entirely. The latter is what I've most often done. It feels very strange to "damage" an artifact, to cause irreversible changes to it, but the actual ignition source is not the most significant part of the matchbook; typically, it's the cover portion that represents a business or person. It also feels similar to removing the kerosene from a kerosene lamp to prevent leaking or fire risk, though the obvious difference there is the ability to remove the risk without damaging or changing the object itself. I've erred on the side of safety first, even if that's simply storing them in a container that is at least semi-fire proof.
I would definitely suggest reaching out to a conservator to see if there are other options, ones that will most suit your needs.
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Angela Stanford
Independent Registrar and Collections Specialist
Advanced Museum Services
Indianola, Iowa
advancedmuseumservices@gmail.comwww.advancedmuseumservices.com------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 06-06-2023 09:02 AM
From: Eldon Yeakel
Subject: Matchbooks in Collection
Hello Katilynn,
I think you first have to determine whether you have strike-anywhere or safety matches. This will determine how you will want to store them. The matches will most likely be stable but it is better to be safe than sorry. I have heard a number of solutions that scare me including: cutting the heads off, coating in nail polish, and dampening the head. I have never done any of these out of fear of making an irreversible change. I would consult with a conservator first, if you decide to do this. We wrap our heads in mylar strips and leave them in the matchbooks. This prevents them from rubbing against themselves or the book. We have safety matches so they are more stable. We house our matchbooks in 3"x4" Polyethylene Zip-Top Bags with 2.5"x3.375" Stiffeners. We house all the matchbooks upright in a box. This allows all the matchbooks to have a stable environment and avoid any unnecessary movement that might cause the matches to light. We can also easily find and handle the matchbooks.
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Eldon Yeakel
Registrar
Smoky Hill Museum
Salina KS
Original Message:
Sent: 06-05-2023 01:29 PM
From: Kaitlynn Anderson
Subject: Matchbooks in Collection
Hello! Similar to other institutions, we have a small matchbook collection within our permanent collection. One of our volunteers is interested in working with the matchbooks so we can better care of them. What does everyone typically do with matchbooks in their collection? Has anyone removed the matches before? I'm curious to see how other handle their matchbooks as I've never dealt with this before. Thank you!
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Kaitlynn Anderson
Curator
Latah County Historical Society
Moscow ID
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