Card of the Day - 2023-11-03

churchman queen mary
Churchman [tobacco : UK] "The Queen Mary" (April 1936) 18/50 - C504-620 : C/113 [RB.10/113]

This is a most unusual use of Nelson`s column, and there is a slightly different version of this on card three which shows the ship in its entirety inside Trafalgar Square. The description on that says if she were parked in this way her stern would go into the Garrick Theatre in Charing Cross Road and her stem into Whitehall. Both these cards appear in the large sized set, which I will bear in mind if I have used this set before. 

There is something curious on the card, and that is the dimension. It is quoted as 170 feet and 6 inches. However when it was erected it was claimed to be 185 feet. It was only in 2006, when it was refurbished, that it was found to be only 168 feet and three inches. So where did our card get the measurements? 

Now this set was first described in our reference booklet RB.10, published in 1948, as : 

113. APRIL 1936. 50. THE "QUEEN MARY" (titled series). Size 2 11/16" x 1 7/16"or 67 x 36 m/m. Numbered 1-50. Fronts printed by letterpress, 4-colour half tone process. Backs in dark green, with descriptions. Printed by Mardon, Son & Hall.

114. JUNE 1936. 16. THE "QUEEN MARY" Similar design and layout to item (113), but size 3 5/16" x 2 9/20" or 80 x 62 m/m.

Our World Tobacco Issues Index shortens this to just "THE "QUEEN MARY". Nd. A. Sm. (50) B. Lg. (16)"