Do you remember the days of paging through a matchbook collection (I do!)? Matchbooks have long been a source of fascination for many, with their unique designs and array of colors. From the simple to the obscene, they offer a nostalgic look back to a bygone era.
In this article, we’ll take a journey into the past and explore not only the fantastic designs but also a little of the history of the restaurants, hotels & services they advertise.
Let’s strike a match and step back in time readers!
Source: Pinterest
Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
The Brief History of Advertising on Matchbooks
Matchbook covers have been used as a form of advertising since 1894, two years after they were patented. Many historians point to the Mendelson Opera as the first to use matchbooks for advertising purposes; they hand wrote their promotional information on blank matchbook covers made by the Binghamton Match Company between 1893/94.
Inspired by the Opera’s innovation, Diamond Match salesman Henry Traute began approaching manufacturers to advertise their products on his company’s matches, promoting them as something that would be viewed by their users many times a day. Among the first companies to order advertising matchbooks were Pabst beer, American Tobacco Company and Wrigley’s Chewing Gum. He also encouraged his customers to give away matchbooks as a promotional item (Source).
Vintage Matchbook Advertising
‘Club Morocco’ in Hollywood California. Date unknown of the matchbook but I would say 1940s/1950s, especially since there is a tiny video of the club below.
Source: Pinterest
About the Club:
Historically, Club Morocco was opened in 1930’s and was located 1551 Vine Street in an area of Hollywood known as Radio City. Radio City was basically started by NBC in 1938. But shortly thereafter, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) also located there. These famous radio studios were in close proximity to the Club Morocco, as well as, other famous clubs including the Brown Derby, the Hangover, and the Radio Room.
Club Morocco was quite the place to be in Hollywood for live entertainment and socializing of the era. The club was also had quite the beautiful Arabian theme with palm trees, camels, etc. decorations. The club was also a very popular venue for famous guest, movie stars, and other then important people of Hollywood and Los Angeles (Source).
Video: Club Morocco in Hollywood featuring Red Nichols. A glamour Hollywood nightspot, seen in rare color film shot in the 1940s (click on image or HERE to view).
‘Surftides’ Lincoln City, Oregon – Robert Dumond’s Over the Waves Restaurant featuring an illustration of birds on pilings.
Source: Etsy- WhiteRobinVintage
Visit Tulsa Oklahoma and stay at the ‘Holiday Inn West Motor Hotel’ at Turner Turnpike Gateway.
Further Reading: Mid-Century Motel/ Hotel Advertising
Source: Pinterest
Here is a postcard of what the Tulsa Oklahoma Holiday Inn, looked like in the 1960s.
Source: eBay
1950s matchbook with an image on one side “Hearty Chowder w/ Hunt’s Tomato Sauce” and the back side says, “For Dessert Hunt’s Heavenly Peaches.”
Source: Etsy- WhiteRobinVintage
I found this fun 1951 Hunts Peaches ad featuring a recipe for Peach Cobbler. I thought I would share in case anyone is craving peaches now.
Source: eBay
1950s Matchbook for ‘Simon’s Restaurant’ on Adelaide St. W. Toronto.
I could not find any information on this now gone restaurant but I really loved the sign so that is why I shared it. If you have any info please share in the comments section below. THANKS!
Source: eBay
2023 Streetview of where ‘Simon’s Restaurant’ would of been in the 1950s.
‘Chez Ami’, “Home of the Revolving Bar” in Buffalo New York.
Source: Pinterest
About the restaurant:
The Chez Ami, known as the Chez Ami Supper Club, was located at 311 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, NY and first opened its door in 1934. It is considered one of the first supper clubs in the nation and had the first rotating bar in the United States.
The interior of Chez Ami was designed by C. Theodore Macheras who used art-deco elements of mirrors, neon, indirect lighting and plush carpeting to achieve a modern entertainment experience. The centerpiece of Chez Ami was a revolving bar, purported to be the first of its kind in America, and- took 7 ½ minutes to make a complete cycle (Source).
Source: Wikipedia
1950-1953 matchbook for Chicago & Southern Airlines to Jamaica & Havana (I love the colours!).
About:
The Chicago & Southern Airline started out in California but had changed their name in 1935, were a regional airline but this matchbook advertises their International destinations to Jamaica and Havana. Great representation of their “new” Luxury Constellations which were introduced in 1950 and by 1953 they were bought by Delta Airlines (Source).
Source: Etsy – SpottedDog1
‘Paschal’s’ Motor Hotel / Restaurant in Atlanta Georgia.
History of Paschal’s:
It’s hard to know whether, back in 1947, James and Robert Paschal knew their sandwich shop (funded by pooling their savings from jobs like delivering newspapers and shining shoes) would leave such an important legacy. Yet because it was situated in Atlanta, the city where most key civil rights leaders were based, no soul food restaurant is more closely identified with the movement and its leadership.
After the business expanded to be Paschal’s Motor Hotel and Restaurant, the spot became the unofficial headquarters for civil rights organizers who were drawn in by the good food, especially the fried chicken, and the meeting spaces that were offered there. Ebony magazine noted in a 1979 profile of the Paschal brothers: “It was also at Paschal’s, in room 501 [of the hotel], that many, if not most of the civil rights marches were planned.” The Paschals also gave free food to protesters who had been arrested, jailed, and made bail.
Now in a downtown location, Paschal’s operates solely as a restaurant and no longer as a motel (Source).
Source: eBay
Vintage photo of Paschal’s. I love the different fonts on the sign.
Source: Southern Living
I was just in Tokyo, Japan for 4 days so I thought sharing these matchbooks from the ‘Imperial Hotel’ was timely.
Source: Etsy – GinGroveInn
‘Sam’s Seafood’, Sunset Beach’s orginal Polynesian Palace.
Source: Pinterest
History of Sam’s Sea Food:
Originally opened in 1923, Sam’s Seafood was opened by Greek-immigrant brothers Sam and George Arvanitis in nearby Seal Beach. It was first a bait shop, then a fish market, and then, by the 1940s, a restaurant.
The swordfish was almost instantly iconic. It began appearing on everything from postcards and matchbooks to coasters. The restaurant had a variety of different names, from Sam’s Seafood Spa, to Sam’s Seafood Grotto and a variety of other things.
In February 1959, the place was destroyed by fire and so the family created what many locals know and love as Sam’s Seafood, a new restaurant designed with a spectacular Tiki theme in a building that also featured a Hawaiian Village (Source).
Source: OCWeekly
1960s restaurant matchbook for ‘Pizza Hut’. “Coast to Coast” & “Quality Reigns Supreme”.
The brief “early day’s” history of the restaurant:
In 1958, two brothers borrowed $600 from their mom to open a pizza place in Wichita, Kansas. They named it Pizza Hut, because their sign only had room for eight letters.
Six months later they opened a second outlet, and within a year they were operating six locations.
The brothers began franchising in 1959 (source).
Source: eBay
1960s vintage photo of the iconic Pizza Hut building style, designed in 1963 by Chicago architect George Lindstrom and was implemented in 1969 (source).
Source: Pizza Hut
I love a good fish illustration, as seen on the ‘Anderston’s Restaurants & Oyster Bar’ matchbook in Memphis, Tenn.
Source: Etsy – GinGroveInn
History of Anderton’s:
Anderton’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar originally opened downtown in 1945 at 151 Madison. A second location was added in 1956 as Anderton’s East at 1901 Madison. Herbert Anderton, closed the Downtown location in 1975 and consolidated the business into Anderton’s Restaurant. His son later took over the restaurant. The restaurant had chefs who remained for as long as 50 years. Linda Anderton managed the front of the restaurant while her husband oversaw the food.
Source: Historic Memphis
The restaurant’s distinctive sea-foam green colors and nautical theme as well as the location’s diverse patronage, attracted Hollywood movie makers who shot scenes for the films “21 Grams”, “Walk the Line”, and “The Client” at the restaurant. Anderton closed the restaurant in 2005 (Source).
Source: Historic Memphis
That is the end my fantastic readers!
I loved doing this post…a lot! Like way more then I thought I would when I started it. I loved researching the locations of the matchbooks, I loved reading their history and I loved sharing them here. I hope you enjoyed this post as must as I did (stay tuned at some point for a part 2).
Please share any thoughts you have about vintage matchbooks in the comments section below.
Further Reading: Vintage Advertising 1920s-1960s (Archived blog posts)
Thanks for dropping by!
Liz
Always love seeing these vintage matchbooks! Most seem to come from the Los Angeles area. Always wonder how many are still in business?
They are great! From the ones in my post, most were not. There are 1000’s of matchbooks out there, I just picked ones that caught my eye. I will be doing another post for sure focusing on other areas.