Card of the Day - 2021-10-12

Smith Battlefields Albion Gold Flake
F. & J. Smith [tobacco : UK]”Battlefields of Great Britain” - `Albion Gold Flake` brand (December 1913) 22/50 - S548-050.A : S84-2.A

Here we have the Battle of Hastings, as depicted by F. & J. Smith. It was fought on the fourteenth of  October, 1066, between the army of William, the Duke of Normandy, in France, and that of King Harold Godwinson. The location was just seven miles from Hastings, at a place called Senlac Hill, which is now part of the modern town of Battle. 

William had a vast force, at least eight thousand men, over half of whom were horsemen, and he had been gathering them since the summer. King Harold had only marched his foot soldiers down from Yorkshire a few days before, after another gruelling battle at Stamford Bridge. 

The Battle of Hastings took most of the day, with Harold`s troops forming the classic shield wall and attempting to repel anyone who came near. This was much easier to do against other foot soldiers than men on horses who had a height and weight advantage. Then, at some point, William`s men appeared to be retreating and King Harold`s gave chase; however that led them open to attack by the much faster men on horses. 

Then, suddenly, King Harold was dead, struck in the eye by an enemy arrow.  And William gained a new name, William the Conqueror. 

This is the new home page for this set, as `Albion Gold Flake` is the first brand in an alphabetical listing of all the fifteen brands that you will find on the reverse of these cards - and it is also the first time that this particular set has featured as a Card of the Day, which allows not just the space for expansion, but lets me enter it in the index as a direct link, you can come straight here to link out, rather than having to scroll down a newsletter. 

It may also be the home page for F. & J. Smith, but that may make this page much too unwieldy. However for now I will use it to file away biographical references, and expand them if a move takes place. 

Sadly we were never given a reference book to the cards of F. & J. Smith, though one was planned, to be shared with fellow Glaswegian Stephen Mitchell. F. & J Smith were real people, brothers, called Finlay and John, and they started this company in 1858, to manufacture tobacco and snuff. That was in premises at London Street in Glasgow, and they remained there until 1883. Then they moved to 33, North Albion Street, a much larger site, and had new premises made especially for them, rising to six storeys, and including warehousing, which they had formerly rented elsewhere. When they moved reference is suddenly made to a third person, John Dunn. but he is proving elusive. At that time they also are said to have employed two hundred people, many of them locals. 

Between May and October of 1886 we know they exhibited at the International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art, in Edinburgh. This was opened on May 6th by Prince Albert. And F. & J. Smith won a gold medal.

The brand on today`s card, `Wild Geranium`, was introduced by F & J Smith Glasgow in 1895. It was available as tobacco and as cigarettes. The tins of tobacco tell us that "This brand is manufactured from a richly perfumed and aromatic tobacco". This is expanded by an advertisement from off the back of some other cigarette cards that were circulated with the brand, namely "Phil May Sketches", which reads : "Wild Geranium Cigarettes. A delicately perfumed Cigarette, of pleasing fragrance; very popular with smokers who prefer a daintily scented Cigarette. Sold by weight and in packets of 10." 

We have a little something else to show you here, as F. & J. Smith issued advertisement cards of some of their brands, and one of those showed a packet of the `Wild Geranium` cigarettes.   

F. & J. Smith amalgamated with Stephen Mitchell & Sons in 1932, which is why that reference book that never happened would have combined the issues of both companies to such good effect.

 Without it, the first mention of this set in cartophilic literature is in the London Cigarette Card Company`s 1950 Catalogue and Handbook pair. The catalogue quotes between 5/- and 15/- for odd cards, and £37 for a set, but does not mention that there is more than one back printing. 

Actually there are fifteen back printings, as listed in our original World Tobacco Issues Index. It has been altered, as in this online version you can click each blue link and see that particular back. Most of these are newsletter cards though, so you will need to scroll down until the date given. 

BATTLEFIELDS OF GREAT BRITAIN. Sm. Nd. (50) See Ha.475.
15 Backs. .... S84-2

The updated version of the World Tobacco Issues Index does vary, but only very slightly. Gone is the reference to Ha.475 whilst brand C. is reduced to "Cut Golden Bar". The rest is exactly as above.

And as this is the home page, we can also have some fun and keep a tally of which backs are known for each number. 

  1. Battle of Ashdown 
  2. Battle of Shrewsbury
  3. Flodden
  4. Newbury
  5. Tewkesbury
  6. Dunbar
  7. St. Albans
  8. Roundway Down
  9. Evesham
  10. Newburn
  11. Mortimer`s Cross
  12. Alnwick
  13. Hexham
  14. Bosworth Field 
  15. Durham
  16. Lewes
  17. The Standard
  18. Towton
  19. Naseby
  20. Otterburn
  21. Northampton
  22. Hastings
  23. Barnet
  24. Worcester
  25. Edgehill
  26. Hawarden Castle
  27. Blore Heath 
  28. Culloden
  29. Langside
  30. Wakefield
  31. Boroughbridge
  32. Sedgemoor
  33. The Boyne
  34. Killiecrankie
  35. Chalgrove Field
  36. Harlech Castle
  37. Stamford
  38. Marston Moor 
  39. Drogheda
  40. Dolbadarn
  41. Homildon Hill
  42. Pinkie Cleugh
  43. Preston Pans
  44. Stamford Bridge
  45. Cardigan Castle
  46. Stratton Hill 
  47. Cropredy Bridge
  48. Landsdown
  49. Bannockburn
  50. Basing House

 

missing

  • D. Glasgow Mixture Cigarettes 
  • E. "Glasgow" Mixture Tobacco
  • F. Goodwill Virginia
  • G. "Kashan" Cigarettes
  • I. "Orchestra" Cigarettes