Just in case you’re interested in novelty Victorian accessories, we’ve got some here that should spark your interest. They are just fourteen of the few thousand vesta cases held by Birmingham Museums Trust (on long term loan from collector Nigel Ross).
Vesta cases were made to keep matches safe. Early friction “strike anywhere” matches were, unsurprisingly, easily ignited and the cause of many accidents. ‘Vesta’ was the name of the first patented wax friction matches, chosen after the Roman goddess of the sacred hearth and flame.
A number of the cases shown here were made by silversmiths in Birmingham in the mid-1880s. Bryant & May introduced safety matches in late 1862, negating the need for cases, but they were more expensive, slow to catch on and some thirty years later, adverts were still having to explain the virtues of the safety match.
From the huge variety of monogrammed, shaped and novelty cases manufactured during this period, we’ve made a selection of those which included a rebus (picture representing a word), reminding us that good humour and a sense of fun is timeless.
View all the cases here: Nigel Ross Collection of Vesta Cases at Birmingham Museums Trust