Silver Vesta Matchbox

Vesta Matchbox, silver: hinged lid, hoop on side and striking edge on bottom - inscribed diagonally across front Discovery, March 21st 1901, the date of the ships launch in Dundee. Hallmarked Birmingham. Belonged to Captain Albert Armitage, Second-in-Command and Navigator of the British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904.

Early matches were highly combustible and need to be stored safely, as well as being kept dry; Vesta boxes were the often decorative pocket-size protective containers into which bulk-bought matches would be transferred and carried. Armitages box is engraved with the date of Discoverys launch in Dundee, March 21st 1901, and features a striking flint along the bottom.