Decades later, some designs continue to make life better

Posted by oceanskies79 under Exhibitions
(0) Comment • (2475) Reads • Permalink

Prior to the invention of the safety match, did you know that matches were made with yellow phosphorus and such matches could be lit simply by striking them against any surface?

I could foresee that if that was the case, there would be a lot of unnecessary fires!

So who was the one who invented the safety match that we see today? How did he/ she make it safe for common use?

Safety matches

Answers revealed: I learnt from my visit to the exhibition, Improving Life - The Design of Swedish Innovations, that Professor Gustaf Erik Pasch patented the design of the safety match in 1844. He replaced the yellow phosphorus with red phosphorus, and also divided the chemical components so that the phosphorus was on the side of the match-box. With this design, the matches could only be lit by striking them against the side of the box.

More interesting stories of Swedish innovations had been featured at the above-mentioned exhibition held at the National Museum of Singapore. The exhibition was held from 12 Jan 2007 to 11 Feb 2007, so if you have missed it, here are more snippets of it for your pleasant viewing: The exhibition: Improving life