On line Exhibitor

David Figg (Australia)

Exhibits : An introduction to Hardware, Australian Match Industry

It was 1960 when as a 9-year-old boy walking to school that I kicked over a matchbox in the gutter only to find that it had a picture on it (Brymay Birds & Animals issue) so took it to school, showed my mates and we started collecting. They soon lost interest and so I acquired their holdings to complete my set.

Article from “Observer” February 1970

 

I had a Great Aunt in the UK who also sent me labels and so my collection slowly grew. The labels were soaked off and pasted in an exercise book.

 

In 1967, I learnt of the existence of the Australian Match Cover Collectors Society (AMCCS) through a work colleague of my late father at Parker Brothers Bakery who took his son to the meetings. This was to be the start of a life-long passion for the hobby.

 

In 1970, this Profile was published in the AMCCS magazine, the Observer and yes, I did meet a “little Miss” marrying Dianne in 1977. Children followed in 1981 & 1983 and three grandsons in 2014, 2019 & 2020.

 

 

Committee Service, etc.

Secretary AMCCS (SA) 1984-1986
President AMCCS (SA) 1987 to present
Observer Editor May 1990 to February 1999
Life Membership AMCCS 2002
Honorary Life Membership (International) Bangladesh Matchbox Collectors Club 2022
Observer Distributor since 2009
Annual Postal Auction Coordinator since 2009
Coordinator of National Match Exhibitions held in Adelaide in 1999, 2003, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024
Attendee & Trader at BML&BS Exhibitions held in 2000, 2005, 2009 & 2017
Coordinator of National Match Exhibitions 2026

Specialisation areas

Collecting areas for labels, booklets & skillets are Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea & South Africa. World-wide hardware produced by or for the match manufacturers together with any ephemera allied to the match industry, particularly picture postcards are also collected. 

Publications and articles

Author of –
Duncan’s of Australia
E.L. Bell & Co, Australian Match Works & Commonwealth Match Works

Co-Author/Contributor to –
Bryant & May Australia Parts 1 & 2
Federal Match Company, Australia
Redheads Skillets
Plyfiber, Australia
The Cheapies (Imports to Australia)
New Zealand Catalogue 2023

Numerous articles in the Observer, Match Label News & IMSA News

Click here to return to the Exhibition Catalogue.

Alan Middleton (UK)

Exhibits : Doreen Thomas – a tribute, False John Walkers, Jones vs Watts libel case, Teesside Match Industry 1826 – 1985, The Faraday Myth

I joined the BML&BS in 1969 and attend most of the London meetings. My son Mark and grandson Padraig followed suit and joined the society in 2021.

My main interests these days are mainly old pre-1946 labels printed in English from all countries for sale in the UK.  Also collect worldwide themes ‘WW1 & WW2 Propaganda’ and Royalty’ labels. I also think it is my duty to collect old labels and bookmatch covers from the area where I live in Teesside, North East England to preserve them as a record for future generations. Too much history of local businesses has been lost forever and we should do our bit to redress the balance in our match collections.

I particularly enjoy researching British factories and importers 1918-1939 as the labels are still reasonably priced and, most importantly, obtainable!

Published 2018

Many of my articles have been published in the Society magazine, and more recently in 2020 have updated my book in colour of the ‘North of England Match Co. West Hartlepool’.

I am part of the group of our Society collectors who researched John Walker and organised the 200th Anniversary Exhibition of his invention of the Friction Match held in Stockton-on-Tees in May 2026.

Click here to return to the Exhibition Catalogue.

Alan Downer (UK)

Exhibits : Italian Match Industry, Match Types

Inspired by a friend who had just started to collect matchboxes, my collection started on the 7th April 1966, at the age of 14.

The initial collection, included matchboxes and cigarette packets. However, I soon decided to concentrate on matchboxes. Not only complete matchboxes, also the labels, bookmatch covers, match hardware, in fact any item connected to the match industry. My collection still remains a general collection, although I have a special interest in a number of subjects. These include Spanish (1840s-1950s), labels marked Foreign Made, and the brand Swan Vestas. I also have a deep interest in the older issues of countries such as Mexico, France, Italy, Cuba, and some Central & South American countries, as well as the older British matchboxes and labels.

In 1972, as part of my mechanical engineering studies at college, I was required to give a lecture to the other students. The research for this led to the discovery of the existence of the “British Matchbox Label & Booklet Society” (BML&BS), now known as the “British Matchbox Label & Bookmatch Society”, through two books written by Joan Rendell. I joined the BML&BS in October 1972 and have remained a member ever since.

My interest in phillumeny has allowed me to see some impressive collections by visiting many fellow collectors and attending meetings in a number of countries in Europe. This has enriched my life and I have gained many friends directly because of this hobby.

I have been part of the committee of the BML&BS since 1995, and from October 2006 I have been the Editor of the “Match Label News”, their magazine.

Click here to return to the Exhibition Catalogue.

Ad Jansen (Netherlands)

Exhibits : Netherlands match industry, Nursery Land series

I was born in 1944 and started collecting matchbox labels on the 15th of August 1955. The reason was that a niece of mine had spent a holiday that year in Sweden. At that time you could get their labels of the Red Cross that were issued by Swedish Match. She showed me the labels she had bought and was so attracted that I started collecting. I went on the street the same day and found 35 boxes. I was very lucky that my father was also a collector and from day one he supported me.

The growth of my collection was very quick and gradually I started to also become interested in the history of matchmaking and their industry. This was backed by the fact that I was in my professional life a management consultant.

When I exhibited in 1971 a small part of my collection a famous Dutch collector offered me his collection. That year I bought it. He had a wonderful world-wide collection. It was so big that I decided to sell off all the labels with exception of the Dutch, Belgium, Swedish and Norwegian ones, and I sold the rest to Axel Winner. We remained friends for the rest of his life and bought together an enormous number of collections from all over the world.

Up to this day I work on my collection every day and still can learn a lot. The match industry is a very complicated one but gradually we all start to understand more and more about it.

What is sad is that we have lost so many fantastic collectors who laid the basis of what we know now. I am very lucky that I have known a lot of them, even ones who started collecting in the 1920’s.

Click here to return to the Exhibition Catalogue.

© Copyright BML&BS 1945 - 2026

powered by Everything WordPress theme