This follows on from the birdsong of yesterday, because I imagine our prehistoric forbears hearing a bird and trying to copy its tunefulness. I will gloss over the fact that pterodactyls only ever said "caw caw" and move swiftly on to remind you that imitation is in our nature, who amongst us has not heard a bird late at night and tried to whistle back?
Singing is the most natural of all the ways for a human being to make music, and just like the birds it provides a signal that we are in the area, or were there first. It attracts a mate, or, even better, a friend. The minstrels on this card did eventually make themselves instruments, or get someone else to do so, but they started, like our week, with a whistle and a hum and then giving words to a song.
Now this is a set I have not encountered before, which is always fun, and it also comes in several variations, so you can definitely expect to see more of it, and other cards of the series, in the future. Its first appearance I have found is in our original British Trade Index part 1, and it says :
THE OLD AND THE NEW. Sml. 76 x 36 with coupon, 67 x 36 without.
A) No`s 1/25, panel at base of back inscribed "Rowntree`s Elect Chocolate" only.
B) No`s 1/50, same panel at base of back, words "Rowntree`s Elect Chocolate" reset in smaller lettering with further line added, e.g. "Delicious & Sustaining..." Vari-backed, five wordings.
However book two of the British Trade Index kind of turns this on its head, with
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
A) 1st Edition 1/25, coupons are found inscribed on left a) 3d. series - b) 6d. series.
B) 2nd Edition. Delete 1/50 and substitute 1/48. Text varies from A) at 4, 10, 11, 13, 18 and 22. Coupon inscribed "3d. series". Backs listed in N&N Vol.14, page 12.
So does anyone know whether those text variations are in the descriptive text and if so what they are ? And does anyone have N&N Vol.14, page 12 ? For this is not the Cartophilic Notes and News, in which the pages, at that time, just carried on one after the other, so has to be the Cameric Notes and News, of which I do not have volume 14.
Now on our modern British Trade Index, reduced to a single volume and a handbook, the text is again slightly altered to read
THE OLD AND THE NEW 76 x 36 with coupon 67 x 36 without. Nd. Text varies in the two issues at no`s 4, 10, 11, 13, 18 and 22. Coupons found with a) 3d. series b) 6d. series on front.
1. No`s 1/25, base of back panel with "Rowntree`s Elect Chocolate". In this issue, the vouchers have differently worded backs, see HR-40.1
2. No`s 1/48, back panel "Rowntree`s Elect Chocolate" as above, in smaller lettering, with further line added. 5 wordings known. Vari-backed. See HR-40.2. In this issue the only wording on the back of the voucher is "Keep this Voucher - It is of Value".
So what was the voucher for? And does anyone have our card with the voucher still there?
By the way, the HR handbook references list the coupon backs and card backs. HR.40-1 refers to the coupon backs (10) series of 48, which start with either :
1. Athletes appreciate the sustaining ...
2. Bananas are sustaining, but a 3d. packet ...
3. Elect Chocolate is a delicious sweet ...
4. Elect Chocolate is free from excessive ...
5. "Elect" is the up-to-date chocolate ...
6. The food value of a 3d. packet of Elect ...
7. A 6d. packet of Elect Chocolate has the ...
8. A 6d. packet of Elect Chocolate is a meal ...
9. A 3d. packet of Elect Chocolate
10. You should never be without Elect ...
The card backs, in the series of 25, are :
1. As smooth as velvet
2. Delicious & sustaining
3. Has a delicious flavour
4. Is of the finest quality
5. The pocket lunch
We have included this information, and the hashtag #Rowntrees in order to involve other collectors who are not cartophilists, those who collect ephemera, and food memorabilia, specifically chocolate. For it is in those "hidden" collections that cards we have no knowledge of may lie sleeping.... waiting to be recorded.