Seven brimstone matches
Seven wooden brimstone matches from the 1845 British Northwest Passage Expedition led by Sir John Franklin. Each match is a flat sliver of wood. Traces of sulphur are visible on the ends of three matches.
The matches were found by Lieutenant William R. Hobson's sledge team on 3 May 1859 at an abandoned camp site at Cape Felix, King William Island, as part of the search expedition led by Captain F. L. McClintock. Hobson described finding them: 'Round and in the fire places several brimstone matches, some of which had been lighted...' [Stenton, 'Arctic' v.69, No. 4, p. 515]. McClintock recorded them as 'some brimstone matches' [McClintock, 'Voyage of the Fox' (1860), p.368].
One of the matches is marked with white paint on the front '(8)' indicating that it was displayed at the Royal Naval Museum, Greenwich, Case 5, No. 8 'Common brimstone matches'. The item is also shown in - 'Stereoscopic slides of the relics of Sir John Franklin's Expedition' photographed by Lieutenant Cheyne RN, at the United Services Museum, Whitehall, No. 1.
The matches were found by Lieutenant William R. Hobson's sledge team on 3 May 1859 at an abandoned camp site at Cape Felix, King William Island, as part of the search expedition led by Captain F. L. McClintock. Hobson described finding them: 'Round and in the fire places several brimstone matches, some of which had been lighted...' [Stenton, 'Arctic' v.69, No. 4, p. 515]. McClintock recorded them as 'some brimstone matches' [McClintock, 'Voyage of the Fox' (1860), p.368].
One of the matches is marked with white paint on the front '(8)' indicating that it was displayed at the Royal Naval Museum, Greenwich, Case 5, No. 8 'Common brimstone matches'. The item is also shown in - 'Stereoscopic slides of the relics of Sir John Franklin's Expedition' photographed by Lieutenant Cheyne RN, at the United Services Museum, Whitehall, No. 1.
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Object Details
ID: | AAA2142 |
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Collection: | Polar Equipment and Relics |
Type: | Brimstone matches |
Display location: | Not on display |
Creator: | Unknown |
Events: | Arctic Exploration: Franklin's Last Expedition, 1845-1848; Arctic Exploration: Franklin Search Expedition, McClintock, 1857-1859 |
Vessels: | Fox (1855) |
Date made: | circa 1845 |
People: | Hobson, William Robert |
Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London. |
Parts: |
Seven brimstone matches
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