Apr 27, 2025
Book 595
Striking Images: Vintage Matchbook Cover Art
Monte Beauchamp
Chronicle Books 2006
Chronicle strikes again. Same trim as the last two books, which I kind of get in this case because, well, matchbooks are small. But the illustrations are full bleed, cropped, and sometimes combined into mosaics. So, when I look at this, I always think of Book 151 or Book 251 and wonder why they didn’t do it like those. I think I’d rather see the whole matchbook.
That said, the art of vintage matchbooks is incredible. Alternately thrilling, funny, offensive, sexy, interesting, and occasionally surreal, the designs are worthy of a more in-depth survey.
