Flowing along there, today we have another source of fresh water, and that is a well. The well here is very famous, and still exists. However the basic thought behind a well is that the precious source of the water is covered by stones or by some structure that prevents it being contaminated by animals, or by persons. And this term has also passed into the language for towns and areas that were famed for such things - for example Tunbridge Wells in Kent, and Wells in Somerset.
Now because it looks like this is the first time one of these cards has been a "Card of the Day" this is going to be the landing page. That just means that whenever we use a different back in the newsletter it will link back to here where the main information about the set is stored.
Sadly we were never given a reference book to the cards of F. & J. Smith, though one was planned, to be shared with fellow Glaswegian Stephen Mitchell.
In case you did not know F. & J Smith were real people, brothers, called Finlay and John, and they started this company in 1858, to manufacture tobacco and snuff. That was in premises at London Street in Glasgow, and they remained there until 1883. Then they moved to 33, North Albion Street, a much larger site, and had new premises made especially for them, rising to six storeys, and including warehousing, which they had formerly rented elsewhere.
When they moved reference is suddenly made to a third person, John Dunn. but he is proving elusive. At that time they also are said to have employed two hundred people, many of them locals.
They would later add cigars to their stable, both home produced and imported from Cuba.
Between May and October of 1886 we know they exhibited at the International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art, in Edinburgh. This was opened on May 6th by Prince Albert. F. & J. Smith won a gold medal.
They amalgamated with Stephen Mitchell & Sons in 1932
Because we issued no reference book, this set appears first in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, where it lists the set and the backs as :
BATTLEFIELDS OF GREAT BRITAIN. Sm. Nd. (50) See Ha.475.
15 Backs.
- A. "Albion" Gold Flake Cigarettes - Thurs.14 Dec. 2023
- B. Auld Brig Flake - Sunday 21 July 2024
- C. Cut Golden Bar "Twilight" Brand
- D. Glasgow Mixture Cigarettes
- E. "Glasgow" Mixture Tobacco
- F. Goodwill Virginia
- G. "Kashan" Cigarettes
- H. No.1 Mixture
- I. "Orchestra" Cigarettes
- J. "Pinewood" Cigarettes
- K. "Pinewood" Mixture
- L. "Squaw" Thick Black Tobacco - showing here
- M. "Studio" Cigarettes
- N. Sun Cured Mixture
- O. Wild Geranium Cigarettes
There was an error in the list I originally typed, which has been kindly corrected by Mr. Philip Lampshire, who pointed out that "Card back H. is listed as "No 1 Mature" but this should be "No 1 Mixture". He is right, of course, I typed it incorrectly. He also sent us a scan of another original card from his collection which shows that No 1 Mixture back, so I will take great delight in sharing that with you in the near future, either as a card of the day, or a diary date in the newsletter.
Now if you look at that list of backs above, some of the names are in bold, blue type, and if you click them you will be whisked off to see that back on another page. Eventually all will do this but not yet. Some of them will be in newsletters, and you will know that because there will be a date given above, which shows you how far down the newsletter you will have to scroll to find it.
The updated version of the World Tobacco Issues Index does vary, but only very slightly. Gone is the reference to Ha.475 whilst brand C. is reduced to "Cut Golden Bar". The rest is exactly as above.
And until we get to log them all in here do have a look at
http://cardemp.co.uk/smith-battlefieldsofgreatbritain.html