Over the past 30 years I was aware of a matchbook collection that my Father had which I finally found at my Mother’s home in a banana box labelled “Matchbook Collection”.   It was time to unveil what I had wondered about for many years.  

With matchbook art surging in the 50s, matchbook collecting soon followed.  It became so popular that the term “phillumenism” was coined, which is the collecting of matchbook covers and matchbox labels.   I have had the great joy of becoming friendly with over 2,000 vintage matchbooks, sifting through these musty curios, and placing my Father and Grandfather in restaurants, hotels, and clubs all across America. The question was, “What to do with an enormous box of highly flammable sentimentals?”  Matchbook American has provided a way to share this collection with the rest of the world.  

Matchbook American is a collection of framed vintage matchbook art, showcasing the tiny billboards and the art which they embody. I wanted to share these tiny American time capsules with everyone, in hopes that someone out there can identify and connect with a favorite memory, a dinner they long to enjoy again, or a family vacation they remember fondly. I continue to add matchbook art to the collection. Every matchbook tells its own story and I hope this collection will spark a memory.