Matchbook History, Lion Match Factory Dating Back to the 1920s Found!

January 27, 2019

A very cool piece of matchbook history was discovered in Long Island City, New York!

Matchbook History. This building was originally the Lion Match Corporation’s Factory located in Long Island City, NY

Leo Greenbaum was the founder of Lion Match Corporation. His New York Times obituary in 1950 explored his path as a 13-year-old German immigrant who, over the course of the next sixty years was to be a bootblack, a dishwasher, a waiter, a restaurant owner and, when he died at age 74, a resident of Central Park West in New York City.

In 1917 Greenbaum began manufacturing paper matchbooks using a single used machine on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He then moved his factory to Brooklyn and in 1924, relocated to Long Island City, NY where he expanded his manufacturing facility to occupy three buildings.

Leo possessed 21 U.S. patents and he wasn’t afraid to take chances on setting up new production lines and to indulge into new advertising matchbook concepts . He was known as the ‘Match King’ by admirers and competitors alike.

Among phillumenists (match collectors) the company’s name is legendary. ‘The Matchcover Vault’; a reference resource for matchbook collectors, sums up Lion Match’s place in history: “There’s nothing like holding an old Lion full-book “Feature” in the palm of your hand. You notice right away that it’s not like any other cover. It’s heavier; it’s thicker; and you know when you open it up that it’s going to be a veritable feast for the eyes.”

TheMatchGroup is proud to continue Mr Greenbaum’s legacy by producing the same style “Feature” matchbooks (with individually printed decorative match stems) that his company brought to market! We’re able to print one to four colors on the special flat feature match stems and also produce special die cut shapes!