Matchbox - Redheads (Phar Lap)
1980A matchbox is a container or case for matches, made of cardboard, in the form of a box with a separate sliding drawer inside the cover. It has a coarse striking surface on the edges for lighting the matches. On top of cardboard matchbox is a paper label showing a red and white drawing of a horse's head with reins. Black text.
Phar Lap (4 October 1926 – 5 April 1932) was a New Zealand-born champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse. He was a rich red chestnut horse with a white star on his forehead. Achieving great success during his distinguished career, his initial underdog status gave people hope during the early years of the Great Depression. He won the Melbourne Cup, two Cox Plates, the Australian Derby, and 19 other weight-for-age races. He is considered one of the greatest race horses of all time. In the four years of his racing career, Phar Lap won 37 of 51 races he entered.
Details
Details
On the matchbox cover label: "REDHEADS. H263. CONTENT 47 MATCHES. Made in Australia. WA MATCH. "
This matchbox label belongs to a special edition that was printed to commemorate the "Famous Redheads", which included Phar Lap.
Redheads produced a series of matchbox covers under the catchphrase of "Famous Redheads". Covers included caricatures of Julius Caesar, Queen Elizabeth II, Napoleon, Shakespeare to name a few, all of which were redheads hence the theme "Famous Redheads".
So why Phar Lap? Phar Lap was affectionately known as "Big Red" due to his impressive size and strength. His height reached 17 hands (1.7 meters at the withers) and he weighed just over 600 kilograms.
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Metal Ashtray with Matchbox Holder
