Chest of drawers made from matchboxes, English, 1958

Miniature chest of drawers hand made from sixteen matchboxes glued together in a four by four formation, with three matchboxes glued beneath, on edge, serving as legs. The inner box to the middle 'leg' is missing. The back and both end sides of the chest are covered in pieces of red vinyl Fablon which is peeling away at the edges on both sides. Brass plated paper fasteners are inserted into the front end of each matchbox inner, acting as drawer handles. Some of the drawers have contents; looking at the drawers horizontally from proper right to proper left beginning on the top row, then: drawer 1 contains a paper cut out picture, perhaps of an open book with ribbon though it's hard to tell what the image is; drawer 2 contains a miniature roulette wheel made from pink and clear plastic; drawer 4 contains a damaged clip-on ear ring with a circular black stone in its centre; drawer 7 contains a similar miniature plastic roulette wheel though the pink plastic is more vivid; drawer 8 contains a plastic cake decoration in the form of a robin; drawer 12 contains a clear plastic button; drawer 13 contains a lead shoe or slipper, probably a Monopoly playing piece.

Donated by Mrs N E Oldman (Noreen Marshall's mother)

The chest of drawers was made by Mrs Oldman for her daughter Noreen in 1958 and was originally intended for use as a doll's chest of drawers, however it was used instead to store small items, damaged parts, stray pieces of jigsaw and the like. Some of the drawers still have their contents; tiny trinkets that include a cake decoration in the form of a robin, a Monopoly playing piece, a broken earring and plastic cracker toys in the form of miniature roulette wheels.

MISC.207:1 to 24-1987