Matchbox - Redheads
Cardboard matchbox cover with drawer. The label on top of cover is a cartoon image of a head and shoulders woman with red hair. Strike plates on both sides
The Redheads matchbox features a logo that depicts the head and right shoulder of a redheaded woman, known as Miss Redhead. This iconic character first appeared on the Bryant and May Redheads matchbox label in 1947 and has undergone several updates since then. The design symbolizes the brand's association with red-tipped safety matches and has become a significant part of Australian popular culture, often recognized by its playful and glamorous portrayal of the red-haired figure.
Details
Details
"SAFETY MATCHES. REDHEADS. AVERAGE CONTENTS 50. MADE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA"
The firm was formed in 1843 by Quakers, William Bryant and Francis May and survived as an independent concern for over seventy years before undergoing a series of mergers with other matchmakers and later consumer products companies.
Bryant & May was involved in three of the most divisive industrial episodes of the nineteenth century: the sweating of domestic out-workers, the wage "fines" that led to the London matchgirls strike of 1888 and the scandal of "phossy jaw".
Redheads is an Australian brand of matches, originally manufactured by Bryant and May in Richmond, Victoria, but now manufactured in Sweden by Swedish Match. It is Australia's top-selling match brand. Matches were first produced in Australia in 1909, and initially they were made of white phosphorus.
In 1946, Bryant & May began making safety matches in Australia, using red phosphorus as the striking surface. The Redhead name refers to the red striking-heads of the matches, which were first sold in Australia in 1947.
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