Ed Wright (Canada)

Exhibit : World War II propaganda bookmatches

I was Born in Luton, Bedfordshire and attended Westminster College where I trained as a chef.  My career allowed me to travel and work in 7 different countries before I emigrated to Canada in 1973.  I worked in Jasper, Alberta in the Rockies for two years as well as Edmonton Alberta. I ended my career as a Professor at George Brown College in Toronto where I taught for 32 years.  I retired 5 years ago and have been trying to catch up on my hobby ever since.  

I initially got into collecting when I was a schoolboy. A family friend and neighbour worked in the employee canteen at the Electrolux Plant and nearly every day she would bring me bags and bags of discarded matchboxes home to sort for something to do during the school holidays.   This certainly kept me occupied and began a life long interest.  Over the years, my hobby has expanded into other areas which as well as Match Box Labels, includes Matchbooks, Vesta Boxes, Strikers, Match Crates as well as miscellaneous Match Ephemera etc.

My greatest interest is in Foreign Made Labels, Wartime Propaganda, of which I also have a collection of celluloid grips, British Royalty, Airlines, as well as old Canadian Matchboxes especially those with Tax Stamps.

As a child, I was a very early member of the Trans Canada Match Club and when I arrived in Toronto I decided to re-join as the meetings were held close to my home.  I told Pat Griffiths, one of the original founding members and he gave me my old, original number back which was quite an early one. We still meet up from time to time to trade and discuss new finds locally, which sadly are dwindling, due to the decline here in Canada of the popularity of matches.

Now I have retired I have also joined the Rathkamp Matchcover Society in the USA who have a yearly convention.  This year it is in Kentucky and I will be attending this with a friend who is also a collector.

I have a large circle of collectors I trade with via mail and would be more than happy to add anyone interested to this list.

Click here to return to the Exhibition Catalogue.