Small Brass Coloured Metal Box of Matches from Shackleton's Hut in the Antarctic by [Shackleton Nimrod Expedition] - 1907

London: R. Bell and Co., 1907. Small brass coloured metal box designed to safely store matches. (6.8 X 4.7 X 2 cm.) The metal box has a striker strip on the right hand side of the box. The top is hinged and has a catch on the front to prevent the box from opening unless desired. The box contains approximately 60 matches and for all intents and purposes is complete or full. The matches are what I would call a storm variety and designed to strike under windy conditions. The matches have a wooden core and a two colour chemical top. The contents are in excellent condition. Accompanying the box is a business card with the hand written provenance of the item. The box of matches was on the Nimrod Expedition and was collected from Shackleton's hut in 1955-56 by William Herbert Littlewood who was the Oceanographer on the Operation Deep Freeze I expedition. Fred Goldberg obtained 3 different artifacts from Littlewood in 1964 including this item. Accompanying the box of matches is a business card from Littlewood who was Deputy Scientific Attache for the United States Embassy. Littlewood has written the following inscription on the card "This box of wax vespers (matches)", was found in the Antarctic Hut used by Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1908-09 and was given to Mr. Fred Goldberg, October 8, 1964 and signed by Littlewood on the bottom of the card. The company who made the matches seem to have been making matches since the early 19th century and were a prominent London firm. I was going to try one of the matches but thought the new owner could be the first to strike one in over 100 years! Documented artifacts like this and the other two items in the catalogue seldom come on the market and especially so since the collecting of materials from the historic huts is now illegal. 1907