Another sartorial star, also associated with shirts, here is Frederick John Perry, or Fred Perry, who was born on May 18, 1909 in Stockport, England.
He was a triple champion, and founded his fashion empire in 1952 on a tennis shirt he designed himself. He chose for his emblem a laurel wreath, as sported in Ancient Greek mythology by the god Apollo. Later on, laurel wreaths were also given out to the victorious competitors at the Olympic Games.
After being a very eligible bachelor for many years, with some high profile companions, including Marlene Dietrich, he became engaged in 1934 to an actress called Mary Lawson, but this did not survive his relocation to the USA.
A year later he met the American film star Helen Vinson, on the S S Berengaria. You can see them together, with rather fixed smiles, on card 39/50 of Stephen Mitchell`s "A Gallery of 1935" . The text there tells us that they were married in September 1935 in New York. It does not tell that this was her second marriage. Again it did not last, and they divorced in 1940.
He married again, twice, in fairly quick succession, then after a bit of a break to lick his wounds he found happiness with a lady who was actually the sister of Patricia Roc. They were married in 1952 and remained so right until his death in 1995, in Australia.
We had a bit of a change here as I found that amongst the set I originally used for Fred Perry was the most amazing card of Sir Malcolm Campbell, actually standing with Blue Bird (it was C. Beriot`s "Sports") so we now have an Ardath card here instead.
Our new set first appears in our original Ardath reference book, RB.6, published in 1943, as :
- 1936-7. 98. PHOTOCARDS. SERIES "Z" (titled series). Size 3 1/8"x 2 1/4". Numbered 111 to 208. Real photographs of general interest and Sport, toned black and white, glossy finish, titled, white margins. Backs printed in black, with descriptions. Nos. 111 - 165 with "Z" at bottom right. Nos. 166 - 208 "Z" in right ornament in bottom and "Packed with KING`S Cigarettes, 10 for 6d." added at bottom. Issued with "King`s Cigarettes". Nos.111 - 165 issued September 1936 ; Nos.166 - 176 issued February, 1937 ; Nos. 177 - 208 issued March 1937. Expanding Albums, price 6d., were issued
By the time of our original World Tobacco Issues Index, the set was listed as part of a group that encompassed sets "A", "B", "C", "D", "E" and "F", all of which were football clubs, which makes our set slightly out of place, but wait, the reason for its inclusion is that it, like them, is only headed "Photocards" - whereas the later sets are headed "Photocards - A Continuous Series of General Interest". The header for this group tells us that the sets are all "Numbered Series. Md. Black and white photos. Nd. Many cards found overprinted in red-brown : "Packed with Ardath Kings - 10 for 6d. - The Longer Cigarette. See RB.6, page 11." All of the football sets,save set "D" are of 110 cards; set "D", covering Scottish clubs, is of 165 cards. And ours is just 99.
The entry for our set is :
- PHOTOCARDS - Numbered Series. ... A72-5
7. Inscribed "Z". General Interest. (99).
(i) Nos. 111/165. "Z" at bottom right.
(ii) Nos. 166/209. "Z" in right ornament at base
This text is repeated in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, but with a new card code, of A745-650.
As for our part of the set, the checklist, taken from the fronts of the cards, is as follows :
- 111. Kindling the Olympic Torch 1936
- 112. Walking - H.H. Whitlock
- 113. Running - J.E. Lovelock
- 114. Running - Miss E. Hiscock
- 115. Hurdling - D. G. Finlay (nearest camera)
- 116. Dennis Horn (centre)
- 117. Jack Petersen
- 118. Len Harvey
- 119. Harry Mizler
- 120. Jack (Kid) Berg
- 121. H.H. The Aga Khan leading in Mahmoud
- 122. Lord Astor leading in Rhodes Scholar
- 123. Racing - Lord Glanely with Lady Adare
- 124. Racing - Lord and Lady Rosebery with Hon. Mrs C. Wood (centre)
- 125. Hon. Dorothy Paget with Golden Miller
- 126. Racing Lord Derby
- 127. Gordon Richards
- 128. Charlie Smirke
- 129. J. Sirett
- 130. Michael Beary
- 131. Racing - Mr. W. Nightingale, with Mr. C.A. McVittie
- 132. Racing - Mr. Fred Darling
- 133. Racing - Mr. J. Lawson
- 134. Racing - Hon. George and Mrs. Lambton with Mr. W.E. Livvick (centre)
- 135. Racing - Mr. Frank Butters
- 136. Golden Miller - W. Stott up
- 137. Reynoldstown - Mr. F. Walwyn up
- 138. Quashed leading Alcazar
- 139. Lovely Rosa leading Outbreak
- 140. Windsor Lad - C. Smirke up
- 141. Mahmoud / C. Smirke up
- 142. Motor Racing - Capt. G. E. T. Eyston
- 143. Motor Racing - Freddie Dixon
- 144. Greyhound Racing - Fine Jubilee
- 145. Fred Perry
- 146. Miss Kay Stammers
- 147. Tennis - British Davis Cup Team 1936
- 148. British Wightman Cup Team 1936.
- 149. Miss Pam Barton
- 150. Henry Cotton
- 151. A.H. Padgham
- 152. Flying - Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Mollison
- 153. Flying - C. E. Gardner (King`s Cup Winner 1936)
the next cards all have distinctive reversed titles to the front, white lettering in a black bar
- 154. Speedway - English Test Team 1936
- 155. Speedway - Australian Test Team 1936
- 156. Cricket - English Test Team 1936
- 157. Cricket - Australian Team 1934
- 158. Cricket - South African Team 1935
- 159. Football - English International Team 1936
- 160. Football - Scottish International Team 1935
- 161. Football - Welsh International Team 1935
- 162. Rugby - English International Team 1936
- 163. Rugby - Scottish International Team 1936
- 164. Rugby - Welsh International Team 1935
- 165. Rugby - Irish International Team 1936