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Bryant & May ‘Pearl’ safety matches, London, England, 1890-1
- Science Museum, London
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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) terms and conditions https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Credit: Bryant & May ‘Pearl’ safety matches, London, England, 1890-1. Science Museum, London. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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Description
Match-making was a particularly dangerous job in the 1800s. Workers – mainly women – employed by companies such as Bryant & May to make matches commonly experienced a condition known as phossy jaw. This was caused by poisoning from the yellow phosphorous used in the head of the match.
Phossy jaw was a terribly disfiguring and sometimes fatal condition. Eventually, a combination of this health danger, poor pay and long hours led to the formation of a trade union for the workers. The Match Girls Strike of 1888, led by social activist Annie Besant (1847-1933), was a landmark industrial action and led to better pay. In 1901, Bryant & May finally stopped using yellow phosphorous in their matches.
maker: Bryant and May
Place made: Bow, Tower Hamlets, London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom