Our second clue shows a very Pre-Raphaelite styled painting, from a very famous artist, George Frederic Watts, born in 1817, who you can see on an Ogden`s Guinea Gold portrait, courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.
His connection with Ellen Terry came whilst she was appearing at London`s Haymarket Theatre, and she got the chance to have her portrait painted by a leading artist. This portrait, with her surrounded by flowers, was called "Choosing", which is now in the National Portrait Gallery. She looks very young, and she was. Despite that, he asked her to marry him, and, being young, easily swayed, and attracted by his fame, she said yes. She later said she thought it would please her parents to be settled so soon.
They married on 20 February 1864. She was almost seventeen, and he was forty-six. The marriage lasted less than a year, though they remained legally married until 1877. However in the mean time she was getting ever friendlier with an architect, called Edward William Godwin, born in 1833. They had met in 1868, and moved in together, during which time she gave up the stage. She even had two children by him, one in 1869 and one in 1872, but because George Frederic Watts refused to give her a divorce, their children could not legally be given their father`s surname, and so they were both christened with the surname of Craig. To all intents and purposes Mr. Godwin was the love of her life, and even after they separated officially in 1875 they remained friends forever, and he often designed costumes for her.
Her divorce was finally granted in 1877.
Now because we know this set is South African, our first stop must be RB.21, which is our British American Tobacco Reference Book. That lists our set as :
377. FAMOUS WORKS OF ART. Large cards, size 77 x 63 m/m. Front in colour, yellowish borders. Back in grey. in English and Afrikaans, with brief details of picture, and announcement that special album can be obtained; printers credit "C.T. Ltd." at base. Numbered series of 100, Anonymous issue, with letterpress on back.
However because this set is anonymous it is relegated to the back of the World Tobacco Issues Index, under "Anonymous Issues (1) With Letterpress on back - English Language Issues - without references to tobacco - Issues 1919-40 - Bi-Lingual issues." The description there is :
FAMOUS WORKS OF ART. Lg. 77 x 63. Nd. (100). See RB.21/377. Special album issued inscribed with U.T.C., Westminster and Policansky Bros. names
By the time that the updated version of the World Tobacco Issues Index was published, there have been discoveries, and the listing now reads :
FAMOUS WORKS OF ART. Lg. 77 x 63. Nd. (100). See RB.21/377. Special album issued inscribed with U.T.C., Westminster and Policansky Bros. names. Multi-backed.
A. Back "A Series of 100 now being packed with these cigarettes" (25)
B. Back "A Series of 100" with blank space above "C.T. Ltd." (75)
C. Back "A Series of 100" with small vertical line above "C.T. Ltd." (75)
This inscriptiion does indeed appear in the album, but neither Westminster nor Policansky are cited in the World Tobacco Issues Index as having produced this set.
We do know that Policansky Bros., or L. & B. Policansky were based in Cape Town, and that they were associated with Westminster Tobacco.
What follows is a curious and salutory tale because the brothers were doing very well making cigarettes and then they sold their entire company to United Tobacco Co. One of the conditions of this sale was that the brothers would no longer make cigarettes or tobacco. And this they abided to. However at some time in the future two of their sons tried to start the business up again. This was brought to the attention of United Tobacco, and they sued for breaking the agreement. The case was tried in court - and United Tobacco lost...
Policansky also issued cards, between 1925 and 1935, and these were :
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"Beautiful Illustrations of South African Fauna", which can be found branded for `Mast` or `Mignon`cigarettes
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"Smarties", a curious set of transfers which RB.21 cites as mentioning The Mayercord Company of America. Now this is slightly wrong, it was the Meyercord Company, of Chicago, and they ran a huge business making decals, transfers, and stick on signs.