What was a match seller?

Answer 1

A match seller was a person, often a child or young adult, who sold matches in the streets during the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in urban areas. This occupation arose from the rising demand for matches as more households used them for lighting fires and cooking. Match sellers often faced harsh conditions, working long hours in difficult environments, and many were depicted in literature and art as symbols of poverty and social neglect. Their plight is famously illustrated in Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Little Match Girl."