Cotton Club Matchbox

Cotton Club Matchbox
Origin	Cotton Club
Type	Matchbox
Effects	Creates a blue gas that freezes all it touches
Downsides	Sporadic intangibility when safe
Activation	Lighting it
Collected by	Warehouse 13
Section	Martel-394S
Aisle	356034-9824
Shelf	115692-5056-793
Date of Collection	January 29, 2012
[Source]

Origins

The Cotton Club was a NYC nightclub formerly located in Harlem. It was notable during the Prohibition and featured many of the greatest African-American performers of the time, such as Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. It was also common to spot celebrities inside it, including Jimmy Durante, Paul Robeson, Mae West, Irving Berlin, Langston Hughes, Judy Garland and more.

The club was heavily segregated in the early years of its opening, meant to cater for white clientele and staff, with the rare exception for black entertainers. Langston Hughes addressed the business as "an authentic black entertainment to a wealthy, whites-only audience." It closed permanently in 1940 due to financial issues and changing entertainment interests.

Effects

The matches have blue heads and ignite with a blue 'flame'. It actually produces a blue gas that is -45 degrees Fahrenheit, instantaneously freezing anything it touches.

Thought to derive its power from the endless nights of indulgence at the expense of the black community. Noted to cause momentary intangibility. Passing through familiar surroundings without control, unable to touch their native element. Does not show that problem when somewhere new or uncomfortable.