Card of the Day - 2022-05-21

The clue here is the nickname of the team, “The Biscuiteers”, and that refers to the main manufacturer of the Reading area, Huntley and Palmer biscuits. 

Just like Cadbury, Rowntree, and Fry, all of chocolate fame, Huntley and Palmer was started by a Quaker, Joseph Huntley, who opened a bakery with his son in London Street, Reading in 1822, and started selling confectionery and biscuits. Almost two decades later, in 1841, a cousin, George Palmer, joined the business, and the name became Huntley and Palmer. Their first factory opened in 1846. 

Whilst we are primarily interested in the cards and ephemera, Huntley and Palmer have another collectable associated with their name, and this was based on the decision to sell their biscuits in ever more decorative tins. These do have a link to cartophily though, because the Christmas tins often contained the calendars we collect! You can read about these fascinating and beautiful tins at The Huntley & Palmers Collection Website Or look them up on any internet auction site, and prepare to be amazed. There is even an X rated tin, from the 1980s. 

Moving swiftly on, our card tells us that Reading Football Club started as an amateur team in 1871, and joined the Southern League as soon as it started in 1894. Pretty shortly after this, definitely within the early 1890s, the club were known primarily as The Biscuiteers, but also as The Biscuitmen, or Biscuit Boys, and a similar cartoon baker was used as their symbol, though it does not ever appear to have been on their crest. 

Sadly Reading are no longer the Biscuiteers, for in 1976 they changed their nickname, and are now known as “The Royals”

Now whilst this card was issued by Hignett it is actually the same set, save the issuer`s name, as was issued by Ogdens - in the same year too. That one was described in our original Ogdens booklet (RB.15 issued in 1949), as "Humorous sketches on Club colours. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour. Backs in grey, with descriptive text. Home issue 1933. Similar series issued by Hignett".

Until I read this I had not realised that the colours on the card had any significance. I wonder if you knew?

In 1950 the catalogue price of the Ogden version at the London Cigarette Card Company, was 9d. a card and 25/- a set, whilst the Hignett cards were strangely cheaper for odds, at 6d. a card, but more expensive for sets, 30/- each.

And before we close, do be aware that the Ogdens set was re-issued, by Imperial Publishing Ltd., in 1997.