New-York Historical Society collection of matchbook covers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection holds matchbook covers, likely dating from the 1930s-1950s, principally of hotels/motels and dining establishments from across the United States, its territories, and other locales, as well as military posts, universities, United States ships (USS), hospitals, and other institutions. Most of the collection is well-organized by geographic (e.g. state) source.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in three series, each representing a separately donated collection:
Series I. Harvey J. Hess Collection
Series II. H. Maxson Holloway Collection
Series III. Abel I. Smith, Jr. Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection includes matchbook covers received from three donors in the 1950s. The more extensive and well-organized of the two is the Harvey J. Hess Collection, which holds matchbook covers from hotels/motels and dining establishments from across the United States, its territories, and other locales, as well as military posts, universities, United States ships (USS), hospitals, and other institutions. The smaller H. Maxson Holloway and Abel I. Smith, Jr. collections hold covers from restaurants and other dining establishments as well, but seems to be less diversified in their geographic and institutional scope.
Subjects
Genres
Topics
Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: New-York Historical Society collection of matchbook covers, PR 432, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.
Credit lines for exhibition labels and other such uses acknowledging the donor of particular covers should refer to the acquisition note for the series that includes the item.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection is comprised of three donations received in the 1950s. See the series level notes for further information.
Accruals
Though matchbook covers are not a current collecting priority of N-YHS, the collection is open for additional accessions that might be accepted in the future.
About this Guide
Processing Information
No physical re-arrangement or other processing has been done with the collection; it remains as received by three donors in the 1950s. Description of the collection in this finding aid and a catalog record, based on a skim of the content, was done in January 2022 by archivist Larry Weimer.
Repository
Series I. Harvey J. Hess Collection, 1930s?-1950s?, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes 11 albums of matchbook covers collected by Harvey J. Hess. They are undated, but presumably date from perhaps the 1930s-early 1950s. The albums are constructed such that the covers are held loosely to the pages with string, not adhered with glue or tape.
Nine of the albums hold covers from hotels/motels or restaurants in hotels/motels. Most of these are from states of the United States, and were arranged accordingly by Hess, with some from locations outside the U.S., though closely related to the U.S., such as Alaska and Hawaii (still territories when the covers were collected), and Puerto Rico. Two albums hold covers from military ships, military posts, airfields, hospitals, college campuses, and other such institutions.
The bulk are about 1.5 inches in width. Most of the institutional covers seem to be wider, at 3 inches. A very few covers are more slender, at about 1.25 inches.
Arrangement
The albums are arranged by the geographical source of the matchbooks. For most of the albums this is alphabetical by state.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Miss F.H. Hess, sister of the collector Harvey J. Hess, November 29, 1954.
A (Alabama) - D (District of Columbia)
F (Florida) - I (Iowa)
K (Kansas) - M (Minnesota)
M (Mississippi) - N (North Carolina)
New York
N (North Dakota) - O (Oregon)
P (Pennsylvania) - T (Tennessee)
T (Texas) - W (Wyoming)
Various
Scope and Contents
Holds Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada, U.S.S. (United States ships), various military posts, universities, hotel chains/hotels with multiple locations, and other
3 inch wide matchbook covers. United States ships (U.S.S.), military bases, airfields, hospitals, hotels
3 inch wide matchbook covers. United States ships (U.S.S.), military bases, airfields, hospitals, hotels
Scope and Contents
This album also holds some slender (1-1/4 inch) covers.
Series II. Maxson Holloway Collection, 1940s?, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes matchbook covers collected by H. Maxson Holloway, a former museum curator at N-YHS. The covers are undated but presumably date from the 1940s and perhaps somewhat earlier. The bulk appear to be from restaurants and other dining establishments. A few political covers were observed on a skim of the contents.
Arrangement
The series is held in one large flat box. Within that box, portions of the covers are arranged in small boxes sorted by state. Other portions are loose or tied together but do not appear to be arranged in any particular order.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift, H. Maxson Holloway, June 14, 1950
H. Maxson Holloway matchbook covers
Series III. Abel I. Smith, Jr. Collection, circa 1950, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes a box of approximately 400 covers from restaurants, cocktail lounges, hotels, retailers, and others.
Arrangement
The matchbook covers remain in a box as received from the donor and are in no order.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Abel I. Smith, Jr., October 24, 1951.