MATCHBOX

Description: RECTANGULAR CARDBOARD BOX WITH A RED AND BLUE LABEL MARKED "RED AND WHITE MATCHES", "RED & WHITE CORPORATION LIMITED QUEBEC, TORONTO, WINNIPEG,VANCOUVER", AND "EXCISE TAX PAID $0.03". BOTTOM IS MARKED "ASK FOR RED & WHITE BRANDS OF FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS", "QUALITY ALWAYS HIGHER THAN PRICE". ONE SIDE HAS A STRIPE TO STRIKE MATCH. IT IS MARKED "SAFE-SILENT STRIKE ANYWHERE". OTHER SIDE IS MARKED "MADE EXPRESSLY FOR RED & WHITE CORPORATION LIMITED BY EDDY MATCH COMPANY LIMITED". CONTAINED INSIDE BOX ARE SEVEN COMPLETE WOODEN MATCHES, AND 1 BROKEN MATCH WITH RED TIPS. BOX IS SLIGHTLY TORN AND MATCHES ARE VERY DIRTY. *NOTE* MATCHES DISPOSED OF JULY 2006 (TO PREVENT A FIRE HAZARD).

History: ACCORDING TO DONOR ITEM WAS PURCHSASED AT THE JOHNSON BROTHERS GROCERY STORE ON 13TH STREET AND 4-5TH AVENUE NORTH AROUND APPROX. 1938. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON DEVELOPED A BIOGRAPHY OF AB CHERVINSKI, THE DONOR OF THIS OBJECT, WITH INFORMATION FROM LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM 1982, 1989, AND 2011. ADAM ABRAHAM 'AB" CHERVINSKI WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 24, 1920 IN LETHBRIDGE. AS A TEENAGER HE WORKED AS A MESSENGER BOY FOR THE CPR TELEGRAPH OFFICE. CHERVINSKI BRIEFLY LIVED IN ONTARIO DURING HIS SERVICE WITH THE AIR FORCE, BUT RETURNED TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE HE WORKED FOR ALBERTA GOVERNMENT TELEPHONES FOR 37 YEARS. HE WAS A LIFELONG COLLECTOR OF ANTIQUES, AVID LOCAL HISTORIAN, AND HEAVILY INVOLVED IN MUSICAL THEATRE. AB CHERVINSKI DIED ON JUNE 2, 2011. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19970107001-GA FOR HARDCOPIES OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT CHERVINSKI. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED AN ARTIFACT SURVEY, WHICH INCLUDED A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY ADAM ABRAHAM CHERVINSKI. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH CONDUCTED TO LOCATE THE DONOR'S LIVING NEXT-OF-KIN WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.