Here we have the "bell" tent, being pitched, by Scouts. These were the same sort of tents that were used by the Army, heavy duty, and ready for all emergencies - and the back says, straight off : "According to the Army Instructions, which it will be difficult to improve upon, 6 men are required to pitch a bell tent"
Today this tent seems to have fallen from favour in the Scouting world. They either use patrol tents, which always remind me of a garden shed, having a sideways triangle on a block at each end and the sides sloping down triangularly - but take just a team of three people to set up - or a general purpose lightweight tent which can be of any style, some even look like mine, (but maybe not blue and orange), and, most importantly, can be pitched by one person alone.
This set was issued in three versions and I cannot believe I have not used any of them before.
The difference is not easy to see without both cards, the given colour too similar. Their description in the original Gallaher reference book (RB.4, issued in 1944) does not help much either, for that reads :
1911. 100. BOY SCOUT SERIES (titled series). Size 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" approx. Numbered 1-100. Fronts, printed from half-tone screen blocks, with marginal lines and "Gallaher`s Cigarettes" in block letters printed in blue. Backs, printed in grey-green (in some lights this almost looks a light blue), with descriptions and "Issued by Gallaher, Ltd., Belfast & London."
100 BOY SCOUT SERIES (titled series). Similar to the above, but with backs "London & Belfast" instead of "Belfast & London".
1922. 100 BOY SCOUT SERIES (titled series). Size 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" approx. Numbered 1-100. Fronts, lithographed in full colours with black marginal lines and white margins. "Gallaher`s Cigarettes" in margins in blue (this blue is paler than on the previous series.). Backs, printed in sepia-brown, with descriptions and "Issued by Gallaher, Ltd, Belfast & London."
Both series of "Boy Scout " pictures were printed by A.W. Saville & Co.
NOTE - Several pictures were changed or replaced for the reprint consequently the reprint must not be regarded as identical with the first issue.
In particular variations can be noted in cards 2, 5, 8, 9, 28, 31, 33, 37, 52, 58, 59, 60, 61, 98, 100
In our World Tobacco Issues Index, confusingly, the two original 1911 sets had been placed in section 1 of the Gallaher listing, covering 1908-1919 and the reprint in section 3, issues from 1921-1929. Our set is listed as
BOY SCOUT SERIES. Sm. Back in grey-green. Nd. (100). See X1/Ha.630.A ... G12-15
(a) Back "Belfast & London"
(b) Back "London & Belfast"
Because our card is (b) it usually means that it was the second to be listed, which must mean that our card is the scarcer printing.
Now those X numbers are in the Handbook to the original World Tobacco Issues Index, which was at first a separate volume, but was later reprinted under the same cover. That tells us a lot more about this set, namely that it was issued overseas as well. It also shows the two backs, whereupon I realised that they would have confused me way less if instead of giving the colours they would have said "text back" and "decorative back", because this was the first time I knew I had been describing the wrong one. I will show those too, by the weekend.
The full listing here is :
X1/Ha.630 BOY SCOUT SERIES. The same subjects were used in two Gallaher printings in the U.K., and in a shorter series issued in Canada and U.S.A.
1. Issues in U.K. Size 64 x 38 m/m. Two backs and fronts illustrated at Fig. X1/Ha.630-A and Fig. X1/Ha.630-B Issued by Gallaher. Numbered series of 100.
A. 1911 issue. Back in grey-green. Front without framelines, see Fig. X1/Ha.630-A Back inscribed at base (a) "Belfast & London" (b) "London & Belfast".
B. 1922 issue. Back in grey-brown. Front with framelines, see Fig. X1/Ha.630-BNote: The subjects in the two printings differ at Nos. 5, 8, 9, 33, 37, 52, 58, 59, 60, 61, 98 and 100. Other numbers were redrawn in "B", in some cases with picture reversed. See C.C.N., Vol.20, pages 143-4
2. Issues in U.S.A. and Canada. Size 71 x 39 m/m. Front illustrated at Fig. X1/Ha.630-C
C. Reed Tobacco Co. Reference USA/T.45. Numbered on front. Series of 36.
D. Tuckett of Canada. Back illustrated at Fig. X1/Ha.630-D. Numbered on back. Series of 25.
E. Anonymous, with plain back. Numbered on front. No. 14 known.Note: The "C" and "E" printings are without series title, and the numbering differs from "A" and "B".
In our updated World Tobacco Issues Index there has been a further change. That reads :
BOY SCOUT SERIES. Sm. Back in grey-green. Nd. See H.630.A ... G075-135.
(a) Back "Belfast & London" (100). (b) Back "London & Belfast". Skipped numbers (86).
This skipping of numbers was not mentioned earlier, so were the cards listed without checking, or have thet disappeared in the mists of time? Any Gallaher collectors know more?