If you got the theme of the week from this clue card alone then you may call yourself a top cartophilist - or applaud that you have managed to build up a considerable reference library on the subject, because we were after the month of issue. And August was quite a popular month for the issuing of cards, I have made quite a considerable list, which made me ponder that it might appear as a newsfeed item if I got time, but ended up as a research blog, linking to cards featured elsewhere on the website. So this was the card that lit that spark!
Well as the "A" suggests, this was the first of a very long running series of photographic cards which were titled "Photocards". They came in sets, quite lengthy ones too, (look at ours, of a hundred and ten cards), but each set was given a letter to define it, hence ours is "A". And, therefore, as this is "A", it becomes the home page for all the Series "Photocards", which were :
| series | - numbered | - date of issue | - covers | - link / scroll down to |
| "A" | - ( 1-110) | - Aug. 1936 | - Football Teams of Lancashire | - https://csgb.co.uk/cardoftheday/2025-09-01 |
| "B" | - ( 1-110) | - Sep. 1936 | - Football Teams of North Eastern Counties | |
| "C" | - ( 1-110) | - Sep. 1936 | - Football Teams of Yorkshire | |
| "D" | - ( 1-165) | - Sep. 1936 | - Football Teams of Scotland | - https://csgb.co.uk/cardoftheday/2023-12-16 |
| "E" | - ( 1-110) | - Sep. 1936 | - Football Teams of the Midlands | - https://csgb.co.uk/cardoftheday/2025-09-01 |
| "F" | - ( 1-110) | - Oct. 1936 | - Football Teams of London and the Southern Counties | - https://csgb.co.uk/cardoftheday/2023-05-15 |
| "Z" | - (111-208) | - 1936/1937 | - General Interest and Sport |
Now as this is the home page, it contains all the extra trivia which relates to the entire group, whilst things only pertaining to one of the sets, and its write up, is on its page, which you can reach by clicking the link, in blue, above.
The group appears first in our original Ardath reference book RB.6, issued in 1943, in which the sets are not individually given a card code. Our set, "A", is described as :
- Aug 1936. 110. Photocards Series "A" (titled series). size 3 1/2" x 2 1/4". Numbered 1-110. Real photographs of football teams of Lancashire, toned black and white, glossy finish, titled [which means on the front, by the way], white margin. Backs printed in black with description, with "A" at bottom right. Issued with "King`s Cigarettes".
Error No.106 - without "A" at back
Varieties :
- Front Title - Back Title 19. Parkinson`s Football Club - Parkinson`s (Chemists) F.C. 24. Robt. Emmott F.C. - Robt. Emmott Ltd., Stanley Mill F.C. 31. Southport Y.M.C.A. F.C. - Southport Y.M.C.A. Football Club 38. Horwich R.M.I. F.C. - Horwich R.M.I Football Club 44. Bury Grammar School F.C. - Bury Grammar School Old Boys F.C. 50. Greenbank Methodists F.C. - Greenbank Methodists F.C. (Rochdale) 54. Bacup Boro` F.C. - Bacup Borough F.C. 95. Hulme Football Club - Hulme Hall F.C. 104. I.C.I. (Alkali) F.C. - I.C.I. (Alkali) Football Club 105. Winnington Recreation R.U.F.C. - Winnington Park R.U.F.C. 110. St. Albans F.C - St. Albans Football Club
There are two thing that strike me about the above. The first is that, as far as, I can see the error of the 106 without the letter "A" is not mentioned in any other publication. So was it a mistake on that number alone, and corrected, or are there other - or any other numbers without one? Do let us know. The other thing is that these team names are really interesting, so one day there may be a second list as above, listing all 110 teams, and any other differences between front and back....
Now at the very end of the listing in that original reference book, we have the following ;
- NOTE :- PHOTOCARDS of Series A, B, C, D, E, F, the additional series AS, CS, ES, and FS, and part Z (to No.165) are found with the backs overprinted diagonally in red with "Packed with Ardath Kings, 10 for 6d., The Longer Cigarette." These cards were given away at the actual football match. A few of the remaining cards being packed with the cigarettes. It is believed, but not certain, that the complete series were thus overprinted.
The following varieties of overprint have been seen :-
Vertical instead of diagonal - Series A, No. 75
Inverted - Series C No.32, Series E No.88, Series F. Nos. 13/14
Also a different overprint reading "only photographs of Arsenal and Manchester City are packed with Ardath Kings sold here today, 10 for 6d." has been found on
Series A - Nos. 29, 37, 61, 74/5, 77/8, 81, 89
Series B - No. 71
Series C - No.12
Series F - No.21
and is probably to be found on others.
Some of the cards were also issued (it is thought to retailers only, as advertisements) with a thin paper cover, printed in brown, hinged at the back and covering the front of the card, advertising Ardath "KIngs"
The above description was shortened for our original World Tobacco Issues Index, but includes extra information - this is
- PHOTOCARDS - 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. ... A72-53
1. Inscribed "A". Football Clubs of Lancashire (110)
2. Inscribed "B". Football Clubs of North East Counties (110)
3. Inscribed "C". Football Clubs of Yorkshire (110)
4. Inscribed "D". Football Clubs of Scotland (165)
5. Inscribed "E". Football Clubs of the Midlands 110)
6. Inscribed "F". Football Clubs of London and the Southern Counties (110)
7. Inscribed "Z". General Interest. (99)
(i) Nos. 111/165. "Z" at bottom right
(ii) Nos. 166/209. "Z" in right ornament at base.
8. Inscribed "A.s" (1), "C.s" (2/3), "E.s" (4/10), "F.s" (11). "Football Clubs (Supplementary).
This text is repeated in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, without the reference to RB.6, and with a new card code, of A745-650.
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