Friday, November 18, 2011

swiss matches


time now to share a matchbook, or in this case a matchbox. this is one of my two favorites from our recent acquisition from grandpa. thanks grandpa! it is a beautiful little box featuring an image of the city of lausanne on one side, and on the other, a rail car descending the alps with monte cervino or as we better know it, "the matterhorn" in the background.
i stopped and stared at this one for a long time when i first picked it up. there is something that draws me in. the lausanne image reminds me of a story book place like on the french riviera where cary grant and grace kelly played in "to catch a thief". and the matterhorn picture again is so filmic, as if it too were a character or setting in anothe
r hitchcock film.
i'm also amazed at the small level of color and print detail here. it is art on a mass scale for the time, put in the hands of the masses. i imagine ordinary working folks who couldn't afford a trip to these beautiful locales who were perhaps transported here for a few moments as i was, while standing on a street corner somewhere dragging on a cigarette. in our moments of pause we may fly away here.

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