I am not entirely sure that sitting a child on the back of a dog counts as a game, though the dog seems to be smiling broadly - however this set, though untitled, is recorded as "Chinese Children`s Games", and so it fits really well into this week`s theme.
The British Cigarette Co. Ltd.were also known as simply B.C.C. - or, on their two earliest issues, dating from 1902 to 1905, as The B.C. Co.They also issued cards anonymously. Ostensibly they were a Chinese associate of the British American Tobacco Co., but the other version of this set is linked with W.D. and H.O. Wills, a similar set having been issued with their "Ruby Queen" cigarettes, some time between 1905 and 1915. And, oddly, our company also issued selected cards from Wills` "Time and Money in Different Countries".
Our set is described in the original World Tobacco Index under "The Pearl-Bordered Back Issues", referring to the circles that form part of the frame-lines on the reverse of the cards. They were issued between 1908 and 1930, and either come in a small, or standard, size of 62-63 x 35-39 m/m, or a large size of 76-80 x 66-67 m/m. The sets can be found with backs in either blue, red, yellow, and green, and there are two other, large sized sets, measuring 80 x 67 m/m, which are also known as "Chinese Children`s Games". One of these has a red back, advertising "London Straight Cut", and twenty cards complete the set - whilst the other is in blue with a similar back design to our set, but though we presume it was also of twenty cards, they have not all been seen yet.
Returning to the main body of the original World Tobacco Index, our set is listed as :
CHINESE CHILDREN`S GAMES. (A). Sm. Nd. ... B130.24
1. Pictures 59 x 32 m/m. (30). See W/364
2. Pictures 52 x 30 m/m. (50). See RB.21/525-1
It is the same text in the updated version, but a different card code.
Now the mention of RB.21 leads us to our British American Tobacco Co. booklet, issued in 1952, the last volume in that series before the hard-backed World Tobacco Issues Index. The entry for this set is under Chinese Grouping "A" and reads :
525-1 CHINESE SET 3 - Children`s Games. Small cards, size 62 x 32 m/m. Front per Fig. 525-1, in colour, white border. Numbered series of 50. B.C.C. issue, pearl-bordered design back per Fig.200-17.F in red. Fronts either white semi glossy, or cream matt.