Close Cover Before Striking: The Golden Age of Matchbook Art

by H. Thomas Steele, Jim Heimann, Rod Dyer

Briefly describes the history of matchbooks, shows examples of covers featuring advertising, patriotism, movie stars, animals, hotels, restaurants, and sports, and discusses collecting

Genres: Art

96 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1987

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first ways to use advertising to reach different demographic groups; match book covers were a cheap way to place your product into large segments of the population. Passed through several hands the art was used to bring to attention what was unique about a specific brand. Many vibrant photographs bring back this lost form of art.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 4 out of 5]

[FIRST READ: * * * * * Okay, the introduction has its hokey aspects, but the galleries that follow are simply wonderful: page after page of arresting, even breathtaking design. Truly you've found your way into (slightly less than 100 pages of) Art Deco heaven!]