Strike Now

Concept

Celebrating the first successful friction match, invented in 1826 by John Walker, an English chemist and druggist from Stockton-on-Tees.

Designed by We Built the World and printed carbon neutrally on eco-friendly, 290gsm Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, offering a smooth, natural warm-toned surface, matt finish and maximum ageing resistance.

Background

In the first half of the 1800s, John Walker developed a keen interest in trying to find a means of obtaining fire easily. Several chemical mixtures were already known which would ignite by a sudden explosion, but it had not been found possible to transmit the flame to a slow-burning substance like wood.*

Walker sold his first "Friction Light" on the 12th of April 1827 from his pharmacy in Stockton-on-Tees. They were made of cardboard at first, but he soon began to use wooden splints cut by hand. Later, he packaged the matches in a cardboard box equipped with a piece of sandpaper for striking. He was advised to patent his matches but chose not to, and, as a result, Samuel Jones of London copied his idea and launched his own "Lucifers" in 1829, an exact copy of Walker's "Friction Lights".
*(1 Crass, M. F., Jr. (1941). “A history of the match industry. Part 1”. Journal of Chemical Education.)

Paper Specification:

Printed on 290gsm Hahnemühle Bamboo – the world's first digital fine art inkjet paper made from bamboo fibres. This natural, warm-toned paper combines a planet-friendly, carbon-neutral promise with soft surface texture and superior print quality.

This resource-saving paper is free from optical brighteners, thanks to its soft, lightly textured structure and sensual feel. It also guarantees maximum ageing resistance, with a premium matt inkjet coating, extensive colour gamut and high colour density for outstanding expression and soul.

Available in:
A4 210 x 297 mm / 8.3 x 11.7 inches
A3 297 x 420 mm / 11.7 x 16.5 inches
A2 420 x 594 mm / 16.5 x 23.4 inches
A1 594 x 841 mm / 23.4 x 33.1 inches

Print only - no frame
100% recyclable and sustainable packaging

Prints with Purpose

Profits from every purchase go directly towards supporting the local causes and community organisations that are closest to our hearts. This is part of our ongoing agency commitment to build a better place to live, learn and work, all while celebrating Teesside’s character, creativity and spirit of innovation.