Bidspirit auction | Early Matchbox - Émile Zola

Early Matchbox - Émile Zola - Italy, C. 1900 - Early matchbox featuring a portrait of Émile Zola - manufactured by S. A. Finanziaria Fiammiferi ed Affini. Milan - Italy, C. 1900. Box full of matches! Extremely rare. A lithographic portrait of Émile Zola appears on the front, with his name rendered in Italian: EMILIO ZOLA. On the side of the box: MADE in ITALY. The box is filled with thin matches of the type manufactured in Italy at the time. On the back of the box is a scene of children at an Italian port. Émile Zola left an indelible mark on history when he placed the full weight of his literary and public stature behind the cause of Alfred Dreyfus. On January 13, 1898, he published his incisive article ”I Accuse...!” (”J'accuse”) in the newspaper ”L'Aurore”, an open letter to the President of France in which, with unprecedented courage, he denounced the leaders of the military and the judicial system for a cover-up, institutionalized antisemitism, and the wrongful conviction of Dreyfus, arguing that the officer was innocent. This dramatic step, which cost Zola a libel trial, a heavy fine, and forced exile in England, divided French society but brought the affair from a judicial nadir to the heart of the public conscience. Zola's determination ultimately paved the way for Dreyfus's exoneration. The affair crossed borders and continents and, as in several European countries, found its way into local Italian products in the form of a matchbox bearing Zola's portrait. Approx. 5x4.5x1.5 cm. Very good condition.