The George W. Bush Years

The first political matchbooks were created in 1900 by a congressional candidate from Pennsylvania. Every president of the United States since William Howard Taft has had matchbooks printed. The White House has provided them as mementos to visitors passing through the presidential mansion and other associated buildings, such as Blair House, Camp David, and the Vice-President’s residence at the Naval Observatory. It has also provided matches aboard all presidential aircraft and the presidential yacht, the U.S.S. Sequoia. George H.W. Bush was the first president to decline to have his name, or even his initials, printed on the White House matchbooks, citing the rising health concerns over smoking.

As an interesting side note: Due to the number of matchbooks that have been manufactured since they were invented in the 1890s, the most printed phrase in the history of the English language is “Close Cover Before Striking”.

This matchbook was obtained during the 2000 presidential campaign of Vice-President Al Gore while on board Air Force Two. The aircraft was used to transport the Vice-President, his staff, and the press corps covering his campaign to rallies from city to city.