A handful of museums may exist in the world dedicated to matchbox labels or complete matchboxes that people once used in years gone by. The matchbox labels also provide people with a unique and valuable insight into how ordinary folk lived 100 or more years ago. The labels also give a glimpse into the eras in which they were produced, highlighting the important issues of the times and trends over the decades.
Man has been playing with fire for more than a hundred thousand years, but no one had ever invented anything that could easily light a fire. Finally, a British pharmacist invented the match.
In modern times, matches are made from red phosphorus, which is non-toxic. Lighters are widely used in modern times and matchboxes may be the story of the past as factories may stop their production owing to the rising cost of wood.
Many people in the world are fond of collecting various rare and antique items. Some like to collect books while some like to collect rare and valuable coins, currency notes and stamps.
Dr Amjad Ali from Skardu, who currently lives in Lalazar Rawalpindi, has set a record by collecting rare matchboxes from across the world. He has a priceless collection of more than 10,000 rare matchbox labels.
Dr Amjad Ali has a passion for the collection of matchboxes. He has several rare specimens of matchboxes.
Dr Amjad says he developed a passion for collecting matchboxes when he was a child and it grew into an obsession in 1971 as he grew older.
He says that since then, he has collected hundreds of rare cases and labels of matchboxes including new and old.
Talking to The Express Tribune, he said that his father was a colonel in the Pakistan army. His hobby of collecting rare matchboxes spans several years. He said that collecting such a huge number of matchboxes in those difficult times was not an easy task.
“I used to collect matchboxes while I was studying. I have been collecting matchboxes for the past 50 years. I have matchboxes from Pakistan, China, Korea, Spain, Iran, USA, Russia, and many other countries,” he said adding “I also consider my collection a heritage.”
He said that he wishes to have a dedicated museum in Pakistan for his rare collection of matchbox labels from across the globe.
He said that Armenia is the only country in the world to have a dedicated museum to the labels of matchboxes. He said that the “Tumanyan Matchbox Label Museum” is located in the small town of Tumanyan on the Georgian-Armenian interstate highway.
“If the Pakistan government provides space, I am ready to offer all these rare matchbox labels as a gift so that a second dedicated museum could be built in the world,” he said adding that the museum could be an eccentric tourist attraction and generate employment.
He said that his daughter and grandson were very fond of matchboxes and they help him take care of his rare collections for which he has allocated a full room with all safety measures in place as some matches have live constitutes in them.
“Each match reflects the history and the heritage of its era,” Dr Amjad Ali said adding that most of the collections were the result of his own efforts, as he bought them during his stay in the US and some European countries, his friends, acquaintances and family members living in different countries also contributed to his rare collection by sending him matchboxes
A fan, Keenzah, said: “I feel so good to see the matchboxes. The government should consider preserving this valuable collection.
Umbreen Zaidi, another matchbox collector, said that Dr Amjad Ali has collected more than 10,000 matchboxes by spending millions of rupees. “This is a special job. A museum of matchboxes should be established in Islamabad,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2023.
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