A History of the Match was a manuscript written by Denis Alsford in 1997. It starts with the invention of the friction match in 1827 and covers its development in England, Europe and the United States. It is very detailed and includes an wide assortment of matches such as, Lucifer matches, wax vestas, slit card matches, cigar tips, block matches, candle matches, safety matches, disk matches, pull matches and various types of matchcovers along with a variety of other match related information. The manuscript is well illustrated with images of old advertisements, match containers and packages, and patent records.

The International Match Safe Association (IMSA) has photocopied Denis Alsford’s original works to produce a spiral wound 182 page, 8 1/2 x 11 inch, document. It makes a terrific reference for anybody interested in matches or match related items. This publication is being sold for IMSA and all monies goes directly to them.