Victorian Barber Match Company Lithographed Tin Race Match Advertising Game Box
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Item Report
Victorian Barber Match Company Lithographed Tin Race Match Advertising Game Box
By:Barber Match Company (Akron, Ohio)
Style:Late Victorian American Advertising / Lithographed Tin
Origin:United States
Materials:Lithographed tin, with multicolor printed paper label affixed to metal
Age:Circa 1880–1890
Condition:Very Good (moderate wear to lithograph, some fading and edge dings but no major structural damage)
Value:$200–$400 (depending on rarity and condition at auction)
Maker's Marks / Writing:Barber Match Co, Akron O., 'Race Match', various race labels and patent information printed on the label. No visible maker’s mark impressed into the metal in this image.
Date:2025-07-03 09:43:48.447065
Description:
This is a late 19th-century lithographed tin advertising box (or possibly game box) made by the Barber Match Company, Akron, Ohio. The front features polychrome lithography with vibrant Victorian-Era portraits and stylized text advertising 'Race Match' — seemingly a promotional product or parlor game that combined matches and the theme of a race, possibly using colored matches to represent different nationalities or races, as reflected in the portraits and inscriptions. These boxes were common promotional or product packaging for domestic goods in the late 1800s.
Curator Questions
Curated by Jade
Assessment:
A rare and visually striking Victorian-era advertising piece that reflects both the period's printing technology and the racialized marketing trends of the era. Such boxes are attractive to collectors of antique advertising, tobacciana, and early American ephemera. Fading, chipping, and wear are normal and expected, and minor losses do not overly detract unless significant. Highly decorative and evocative of turn-of-the-century Americana.
Individual Images:
N/A (only one overview image provided; detail images of the sides
back
bottom
and interior would help further confirm age and authenticity
and check for any restoration
maker impressions
or hinge details).
Provenance:
No provenance documentation appears in the image provided.
Condition:
Very Good (moderate wear to lithograph, some fading and edge dings but no major structural damage)
Identification Score: 95%
The piece's maker and function are strongly identified by the tin label, company name, product description, and era-specific lithography. All elements correspond to known artifacts from the Barber Match Co. Similar items are catalogued in collector references.
Authenticity Score: 85%
Surface wear, age-appropriate lithography, slight fading, and manner of construction suggest originality. The degree of patina and detailing make this likely to be an authentic period piece. However, careful examination of hinges and seams is important, as there have been occasional high-quality reproductions for the antique advertising market; the high score assumes no significant reproduction details are present upon closer inspection.
Image Memory Note
Victorian era American advertising tin, notable for Barber Match Co. branding and colorful, racialized Victorian portraiture. Packaging/game with pronounced period faded lithography; collectible for advertising and match memorabilia collectors.
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