Now the clue here was the name of the song, "I`m a Howler". I have not yet tracked down the song and Thomas Costellow is just as elusive. We know he was born in April 1863 but not quite sure if the place was Birmingham or somewhere in Ireland. However we do know that he made his first stage appearance, strangely, and spookily, in Wolverhampton - in 1883. Must be a week of connection.....
Now in our original World Tobacco Issues Index this set is listed in the first section of Hignett, those being early issues without an I.T.C. Clause; for these cards were issued before Hignett joined the Imperial Tobacco Company, which they did in 1901. However some of the cards in that section were still in circulation as late as 1903.
The listing for our issue is : "MUSIC HALL ARTISTES (A). Sm. 68 x 36. Nd. (20) See H.202". And H.202 sends us to the handbook where it is described as :
H.202. MUSIC HALL ARTISTES (adopted title). Numbered, (faintly) in top right corner. Series of 20.
Pre-1919
Hignett
Richmond Cavendish
Richmond Cavendish, like Hignett, were based in Liverpool.
We also know several of the cards, which are
- Albert Chevalier "What cher"
- Bessie Wentworth "I`s The Lubly Boy"
- --
- --
- --
- T.E. Dunville "One of the Best"
- --
- Herbert Campbell "That`s My Baby"
- Marie Kendal "One of the Girls"
- Tom Costello "I'm a howler"
- Leo Stormont (no song)
- --
- Little Tich "Could do with a bit"
- Billie Barlow "Do Buy Me That"
- --
- Maggie Duggan (no song)
- --
- --
- Lily Harold (no song)
- Eugene Stratton "I`m John James"