Random House - Vintage Modern Library Matchbook

Benjamin Clark, the Curator of Education Oklahoma Museum of History Oklahoma History Center, entered this rare Random House matchbook in the recent Coolest Ephemera Contest. It's a great item.

According to Benjamin, the Random House people used matchbooks to promote the Modern Library series from at least the 1920s through the 1940s. "An invoice from 1927 has surfaced, but no examples of matchbooks are known from then," says Benjamin. "Several examples from 1933 have surfaced. I found these two. They date from either 1944 or 1945. They’re rough, but no others have been seen. Anyone out there have more?"

Thanks for submitted such an n exceptional item, Benjamin. It certainly was a strong contender for the "coolest" title.