Matthews Marks 150th Anniversary

Matthews International Corporation is celebrating its 150th anniversary with an interactive exhibit at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center.

The display traces the company's distinguished history in the identification industry. It begins in 1850 when John Dixon Matthews, a skilled engraver from Sheffield, England immigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and began producing stencils, steel stamps and branding irons. The exhibit chronologically explores the company's role in identifying people, places and events, as well as in marking all types of products.

Highlights of the exhibit include:

• A pictorial display showcasing Elvis Presley's memorial as well as those commemorating the lives of other well-known entertainers and athletes.
  
  
• The Roberto Clemente plaque from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For the first time in history, the Hall of Fame is allowing one of its bronze plaques cast by Matthews to be displayed outside the Cooperstown, New York museum.
  
  
• A display of 1940s era employee newsletters describing Matthews' role in the war effort, as well as photos of Matthews' ammunition marking equipment.
  
  
• Display of rubber stamps and printing dies used during the early part of the 20th century as well as today's complex ink jet printers that mark various consumer products.
  
  
• A laser marking system that etches detailed designs in seconds offers visitors an inside look at current marking technology.
  
  
• Examples of devices Matthews supplies for marking letters and numbers on license plates.

Matthews' 150th anniversary logo was designed for use
on stationary, printed materials, ad specialty items and
even as a commemorative postmark on outgoing mail.

Matthews' exhibit is on public display through September 4, 2000.