Card of the Day - 2022-05-27

Wright`s Biscuits were always popular locally, in the North East of England, but not many readers probably imagine that they started way back in 1791, when they were called L Wright & Son, and their primary stock in hand might have been biscuits, but they were what was known as "hardtack" or Naval Rations, though not for the Navy as such, they were also a staple for most of the ships that docked along the River Tyne. 

Strangely, this advertising campaign produced their only set of cards, and made them famous across the country. It was a simple idea, making a little character who would appeal to children, and incorporating the company`s biscuits into their adventures. Space was much on everyone`s minds, in the late 1950s so that provided the theme.

Now what you might not realise is that these cards were drawn by Mabel Lucie Attwell, who had started working for Wright`s Biscuits in the late 1940s, a fair time before this campaign. The cute, ginger haired little boy called Mischief, and his sister Marie, plus their uncle, "Jet" Wright, the pilot of a rocket ship, not only appeared on these cards, there was a club, called "The Mischief Club", advertised in papers, magazines, and on the radio which encouraged all children to join - and collect postcards and badges. These cards seem to have come along later, when it was realised that a badge did not encourage the purchase of more packets like the quest to complete a set of cards did. 

Another reason why this set is popular today is that in the 1950s it was quite far-sighted to have a girl character as an equal partner on space adventures. Though to be honest it was almost certainly done not for reasons of gender equality, but simply to double the appeal, and sales, of the product. 

This set first appeared in our original British Trade Index part two, where it is described as :

MISCHIEF GOES TO MARS. Sm. 68 x 37. Nd. (24) ... WRE-1
   A. Base of back "Issued by Wright's Biscuits Ltd.."
   B. Base of back "Join the Mischief Club". 

You can see the second version in our newsletter for the 8th of October 2021, and it is the first card up, for Saturday the 8th of October.

By the time British Trade Index part three was issued in 1986 there was need to change the listing for this set, and so it reads : 

WRIGHT`S BISCUITS - WRE in II. This firm is out of alphabetical order. Renumber sets WRE-1 and WRE-2 as Sets WRJT-1 and WRJT-2.

WRJT-3 (Mischief Goes to Mars). Add (C) base of Back plain

Now we are not entirely sure in which order these backs were issued, especially the "C" version, which does not mention the club at all - it might have come first, but only been discovered by a collector later, or it might have come after the club had ended. Versions "A" and "B" both mention the club, "A" with the club along the sides and "B" with it at the bottom, plus more details, "Join the Mischief Club. Send 2 1/2d. stamp and 6 pictures of Little Mischief". It does not tell us whether these pictures are the cards, or whether it was a logo or image from the packaging. 

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