From Vintage Labels To Art

We’ve chosen a few Archivist designs to be translated into larger scale prints for your walls (some say bigger is better).

Sticking to the original colour schemes and quality of line, these prints show off the matchbox labels in all their glory, while honouring the history and narrative behind them. Whether a matchbox label is small enough to be popped into a pocket, to sit pretty on a mantlepiece or in a frame, our love of these typically miniature, mass produced artworks goes way back.

Since whizzy pocket lighters have become the new normal, matchboxes aren’t quite as common as they used to be, so we’re doing our bit to keep the spirit of phillumeny ablaze. We firmly believe that a matchbox shouldn’t be destined for the back of a dark drawer, which is why we make sure to pick the most colourful and whimsical artworks as possible for our labels, created by artists who share our passion for heritage and history.

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Phillumeny: Where it all began...

Madeleine Allardice

15 Aug 20232 min read

The story behind stylised and graphic matchbox labels is much more practical than you might expect. Naturally, matchboxes were the prime spot for marketing - a practical, pocket-sized billboard put on display whenever the moment called for a match to be struck. Unsurprisingly, matchboxes once had a very captive audience, with the majority of labels depicting tobacco adverts or fire safety messages.

The practical stuff aside, matchbox labels could be used more creatively to enhance popular graphic styles, to paint a portrait of figures from politics, sports, history and literature, to provide an illustrated glimpse of a landscape from across the world. Illustrations of birds and animals from India were tremendously popular, the electric colours jumping out from the labels. One thing still rings true for us at Archivist, which is that good graphic design and artwork should be able to transcend language barriers and cultures, we want our labels to be recognisable and enjoyed by as many people as possible.

Despite matchboxes becoming objects more suited for the home than an on-the-go essential, they can sometimes still be found on hotel desks, in restaurants or bars, a sentimental souvenir to carry with you on travels far and wide. What better place to print an image than on a label, when a matchbox will inevitably end up in multiple pockets, be left on tables and passed between hands? Although we only have to hop online to catch a glimpse of animals or far-away landscapes, we like to think Archivist labels embody the sense of wonder that the humble matchbox label was intended to create. More importantly, that they put a smile on your face.

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