Card of the Day - 2023-08-23

Hill Views of Interest second series
R. & J. Hill [tobacco : UK] "Views of Interest" second series (1938) card 83 - H554-780.2 : H46-96.2

Now this set comprises six series which show the United Kingdom, though they are titled series one to five. The reason for this is that series one was issued twice, once with a back which says "Spinet House", and once with it reading "Issued with Sunripe & Spinet Oval Cigarettes".

There are also other sets, starting in 1940, which was intended to be a group covering the British Empire, but was only Canada, and India. More countries would certainly have followed, but whilst the India set was being packaged, the premises were hit by a bomb and destroyed. A few cards had already been sent out, but the rest were lost. 

Our original reference book to the issues of R. & J. Hill, RB.2, published in 1942, lists our part of the set as : 

1938. 48. VIEWS OF INTEREST (titled series). "Second series of 48 hand coloured Real Photographs." Size 3 1/14" x 2 1/2". Numbered 49-96. Fronts, sepia toned photographs. Glossy finished and hand-coloured, with titles and white margins. Backs, printed in black only, with descriptions and inscribed, "Issued with Sunripe & Spinet Oval Cigarettes. R. & J. Hill, Ltd., Shoreditch, London, E.1 ..." Produced by the Rotary Photographic Co. 

And in case you were wondering, yes this was the same Rotary that issued all those picture postcards. 

Our World Tobacco Issues Index adds a bit more information, especially to the series header. It gives the size - "Lg. 76 x 63" as well as telling us "Special album issued".  However it does not explain if one album took the whole set of 240 cards, or if each forty-eight cards fitted into a separate one. Maybe ne of our readers can answer that?