Vintage Matchbook Art

This is a continuation of our feature on vintage matchbook art from the mid 20th Century, as seen from my grandfathers's collection as introduced in the link above. As you can see from this initial grouping, below, he collected matchbooks from hotels, restaurants, and other establishments ranging from New Mexico to Chicago to Jackson Heights in New York. Scroll down for more interesting mid-20th Century matchbook art!

a group of six vintage matchbook covers from the mid 20th Century

Below left is a beautiful front and back to a matchbook advertising Yellowstone National Park. We have a dramatic image of the Old Faithful geyser in action, as well as a black bear watching us from afar. Below right is a front and back for a matchbook from "Roy's Place," a restaurant in Waverly, Iowa. I would certainly be happy to try a 5 cent hamburger today!

vintage matchbook cover with images of Old Faithful Geyser and Bears at Yellowstone Park

vintage matchbook cover art for a diner in Iowa that serves 5 cent hamburgers

Below left we have a matchbook from "Hotel Cape Fear" in Wilmington, North Carolina. It features a vintage horse and buggy image, but also advertises that they have "Beauty Rest Mattresses." I wonder if people really chose their hotel stay based on the brand of bed mattresses? Below right is a woman floating down through the sky, with the tagline "Para Cutie." The backside of this matchbook, not pictured here, advertised the "Handy Parking Co." in Omaha, Nebraska. I'm not sure why the image of a woman parachuting would make sense for a parking garage, but that's what they used.

Below right is a woman out walking with her German Shepherd and a yellow umbrella, and she is supposedly "skirt-ing trouble." This is the front side of a matchbook for the Shangri-La restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia, where - according to the back side - one can "meet your friends." Where does the dog stay while they're inside eating?

vintage matchbook cover art from the mid-20th Century

vintage matchbook cover for the Shangri-La restaurant in Norfolk, VA

Our last grouping here includes these four: below left, a woman stepping out of a sports car, which was the front of a matchbook for the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where one can go to "dine and dance" (as noted on the unpictured back side of this matchbook). Next to that is a vintage matchbook for Florsheim Shoes, which doesn't even showcase any shoes, but rather just an abstract art pattern.

Below right we have a wide-angle view of "La Bonte Hotel," in Douglas, Wyoming, and below that is an art deco style depiction of a "Broadway Bar & Lounge," where - according to the matchbook - one can "meet the celebrities" at "Jack Dempsey's," on Broadway between 49th and 50th Streets in New York City.

vintage matchbook art with a woman in a sports car and one for Florsheim Shoes

vintage matchbook covers advertising a hotel and a restaurant

Coming soon: images of matchbooks from my own collection.

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