Matchbook Book

‘Matchbook Book’ presents a curated glimpse into a once essential but now almost obsolete form of ephemera from the collection of Billy Woods. Featuring over 250 images of matchbooks collected between the 1970s and late 1990s, the book traces a portrait of Britain through pubs, tandoori houses, travel agents, nightclubs and appliance repair shops. Once every business would vie to have their brand in our pockets, now these small, mundane, and beautiful artefacts act as a record of places long gone, cigarettes smoked, and conversations once had. The compact book renders its matchbooks at actual size and is encased in a reference to the format contained within, a glossy red sleeve folded and finished with the signature of the matchbook, a solitary staple.