Instantaneous Light Box (length 3 3/4 ins) of tin; rectangular

Instantaneous Light Box (length 3 3/4 ins) of tin; rectangular

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Instantaneous Light Box (length 3 3/4 ins) of tin; rectangular
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Musuem

Instantaneous Light Box (length 3 3/4 ins) of tin; rectangular, with hinged slightly-domed lid; a handsome example, with considerable decoration; exterior japanned dark brown; on top of lid, a design of foliage in gilt, with flowers, partly painted and partly mother-of-pearl, inlaid, also an insect (apparently a daddly long-legs) with wings of mother-of-pearl, inlaid; interior painted red; contains three compartments; one at back for small stoppered acid-bottle still filled with asbestos; a second, also at back, for matches, has separate inner lid of tin; the third, extending whole length of front for a candle, which shuts down when box is closed, but rises upright by means of a spring when box is opened; a ring of tin on inner lid intended to hold a spare candle; over a score of thin, flat, red-tipped, wooden matches, each 2 1/4 ins long, remain; tin at end of box next acid-bottle much corroded and perforated by escaped acid. ? England.

Details

Category:
Firemaking
Object Number:
1937-682/1273
type:
light box
credit:
Wilkinson Sword Ltd.