However, it's important to note that the concept of "book matches" existed before Pusey's patent.
* John W. Costello designed a similar product in 1888, but his invention didn't gain commercial success.
* John Beall from Cleveland, Ohio, claimed to have invented book matches as early as 1886, but his invention was also not widely popular.
Therefore, while Joshua Pusey is credited with the patent and popularization of book matches, the history of their invention is a bit more complex and involves contributions from multiple individuals.