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The tinder-box with its et ceteras, 1860. Creator: Unknown
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The tinder-box with its et ceteras, 1860. Creator: Unknown
The tinder-box with its et ceteras, 1860. The brimstone-matches, the tinder-box, and the flint and steel...are now amongst the matters of the past, and so completely have the lucifers superseded them that the fire-producing apparatus which was, and had been for centuries, so common in every dwelling throughout the land, are almost as rare as the schoolboy's "Hornbook"...Great as are the advantages which have arisen from the introduction of lucifer-matches, it is not altogether without some evils. In the large manufactories in which they are made the children and other workers are often afflicted with a disease which eats away the bones in a fearful manner; and, doubtless, many of the unaccountable fires which occur in both town and country may be attributed to the spontaneous combustion or careless use of the lucifers. The example engraved is from a Sketch made in a village not far from the venerable Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain - a primitive part of England, where various old customs still continue to be observed, and where, we are told, some few persons still continue the use of the flint-and-steel tinder-box. We also believe that some of the old captains of the Tyne colliers would not consider it "lucky" to have a "lucifer" on board'. From "Illustrated London News", 1860
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This image, titled 'The Tinder-box with its Et Ceteras, 1860,' depicts a quaint and nostalgic scene of a tinder-box and its accompanying tools, now relics of the past. The tinder-box, with its flint and steel, and brimstone matches, were once common household items used to produce fire. However, with the advent of lucifer matches in the mid-19th century, these fire-starting apparatuses became obsolete. The text accompanying this image, taken from the 'Illustrated London News' of 1860, reflects on the significance of this transition. The article notes that the use of lucifer matches had become so widespread that the older methods of producing fire were becoming rare, akin to the antiquated schoolboy's hornbook. Despite the numerous advantages of lucifer matches, the article acknowledges that they were not without their drawbacks. In the large factories where they were manufactured, workers, including children, were often afflicted by a bone-eating disease. Furthermore, many unexplained fires in both urban and rural areas could be attributed to the spontaneous combustion or careless use of lucifers. The scene depicted in the image is reminiscent of a primitive English village near the ancient Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain. Here, in this old-fashioned community, some people still clung to the use of the traditional flint-and-steel tinder-box. The article also mentions that some old captains of the Tyne colliers would not consider it 'lucky' to have a 'lucifer' on board their ships.
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