Hapag-Lloyd match box

Date1970 - 1985

Object number00049857

NameMatchbox

MediumPaper, ink, timber

DimensionsOverall: 55 x 40 x 7 mm, 7 g

ClassificationsTools and equipment

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Christopher Beazley

Terms

Description215 shipping and cruise line related match boxes, some wooden, mostly cardboard.HistoryIn the 1980s cruise lines began launching giant passenger liners, some capable of carrying over 2,000 people. These vessels were designed as all-inclusive magnificent floating hotels with casinos, running tracks, spas, champagne and caviar bars, basketball courts, private stateroom verandahs, and three-story nightclubs. Ports of call were not the main reason for cruising anymore as people became interested in the whole experience of just being on board. Cruise Lines made actively marketed their shipboard experiences rather than destinations. The message was 'luxury for the masses'. Souvenirs had always been an important part of the cruise experience, and many items issued to passengers such as menus, destination cards, cocktail stirrers and match boxes were kept as momentos of what for many people were 'once in a lifetime' voyages, often honeymoons or romantic cruises.SignificanceSouvenirs from cruises were kept as momentos of what for many people were 'once in a lifetime' voyages.