Post #429615 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Jan 19, 2009 9:50 PM

Haaa! That's a funny fact that even this European was not privy to, thanks for filling us in, and the thanks for that matchbook. And PTD, having to look at all those out of focus images still hurts my eyes.

Here is an ode to the art of the match book, celebrating the artistry that went into making these little mementos, often now the only relic left of once grand nightspots and forgotten hidaways. To continue with the sexy theme, my readers might be familiar with this, a classic from the "embossed breasts" genre:

Pretty racy for its time. But how about the inside!:

Damn, spicy indeed.
Matchbooks became not only sculptural in regards to breasts, as evidenced in this "Christian's Hut" match book I posted a while ago:

American matchbooks were so far advanced in their art that even English businesses like the London Beachcomber had their books manufactured in the U.S.:

Matchbooks got quite elaborate, and to match the over-the-top Vegas-style splendor of Danny Balsz's "The Tikis", this Cinemascope book with GOLDEN matches seems just right:

Here's the inside:

Here's the back:

Here is the inside text and map, next to the giant fire-breathing Tiki from the match cover (as seen in the BOT p. 110 and 111):

And because every urban archeologist deserves a closer look, here the map of the grounds, even more blown up: