The clue word here was "CAROL", which is described by the Oxford English Dictionary as "a religious folk song or popular hymn, particularly one associated with Christmas." And they have been known as carols all the way from Medieval times, and they are still being written, every year. And they can be blended - on which "note", this year, the Church of England announced it has set the old favourite 'The First Nowell' to a brand new tune.
The only difference between a carol and a hymn seems to be that carols are only sung in Church at Christmas. However they do not have to be religious to be called a carol and they are not just sung at Church. Though they are getting more infrequent, a group of people who sing for money at your door are also called carol singers.
Our original RB.13 reference book to the issues of Godfrey Phillips may tell us, under the heading of “BEAUTIES OF TO-DAY. Sm. Nd.” that “There are four different series” - but actually there are several sets of this name, both black and white and coloured, and even photographic.
Briefly, because we will show and discuss them all in good time, if we have not done some already, these four in that section are easy to distinguish, for there are different lengths to each set, a 44, a 50, a 34, and our set, of 36 cards.
The pictures to our set are often very blurred, but I like it very much, especially the way that some of the beauties pose in a really risque way for the times, but still retain their dignity intact.
You can see them all, and wonder at why their careers seemed to get no further, at Immortal Ephemera/Phillips40 - though I could not fathom how to scroll so just had to click on each picture.
Anyway it is described there as :
20. 36. “A Series of 36 of these Studies now being issued with these Cigarettes. SECOND SERIES”. Fronts printed by offset process in colour. Backs in grey-black. Home issue, 1940.
Our World Tobacco Issues Index keeps the same four sets in the group, but shortens the description. Luckily it is still easy to spot it, described as “A Series of 36 . . . . Second Series”. Coloured.”