The National Philumeny Fair

The National Philumeny Fair has a regular place in the museum’s calendar: the first Saturday of October. It takes place once a year, rather than forming part of the displays available during every visit. Matchbox label enthusiasts attend from across Poland. Some participants have collections running to hundreds of thousands of examples.

One documented edition took place on 1 October 2022. The gathering focused on collecting matchbox labels: small printed designs that can survive as collections long after the matches have been used.

At the 2025 edition, the museum presented a poster in a tube reproducing designs from match packaging in its holdings. It transferred the collection from small boxes to a larger print. The fair’s story closes the visit with the collectors’ perspective: beyond museum cases, these same types of objects are also gathered in private collections.