Some readers may imagine this to be one of the most boring sets ever, and others may be thrilled to see it. I quite like it, and it also records the rise of the sport, for the first ever Professional Championship of Snooker was held in 1927. This was won by Joe Davis, who was both a professional billiards player, and the owner of a billiard hall premises. He also laid the groundwork for that contest.
In 1928, the year our set was issued, Joe Davis both retained his snooker title, and also won the Professional Billiards Championships. One of the other competitors was a man called Tom Newman, who also played both sports. In fact Alexander Boguslavsky`s "Turf Sports Records" card 31 tells us that in 1922 he made the so far highest ever score of 1,274 points. More importantly he had also beaten Joe Davis in the two years prior, 1926 and 1927, so it seems very possible that it was thought he would do the hat trick and so he was engaged for these cards - only for him to be beaten by Joe Davis.
By the way our Tom Newman was born Thomas Edgar Pratt, but he always played as Tom Newman and he changed his name legally in 1919. I cannot find out why though. I have found out though that when he died, quite young, in 1943, his favourite billiards cue was buried with him.
He appears on nine cards, which you can see at the Trading Card Database/Tom Newman
This version of the set was issued anonymously, overseas, and it first appears in our original British American Tobacco reference book RB.21, issued in 1952, as :
215-33. BILLIARDS - by Tom Newman. This series was issued as follows :-
A. Ogden`s Home Issue.
B. Anonymous Issue, with letterpress on back
In the index at the front it is revealed that the set was actually issued in Malaya, in 1929.
More information about the set therefore appears in our original Ogdens reference book, RB.15, published in 1949, where it is described as :
33. 50. BILLIARDS by Tom Newman. Numbered on fronts and backs. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour. Backs in grey, with descriptive text. Home issue 1928.
This is much shortened in our World Tobacco Issues Indexes, but it is rather hidden at the back of the book, amongst the "Z" numbers, as :
BILLIARDS - BY TOM NEWMAN. Sm. Nd. (50). See RB.21/215-33.B
Now I must tell you of another set, which looks almost identical, and was also issued by Ogden`s (and Hignett`s), but it does not look like it was issued overseas. This is called "Trick Billiards by A. Newman-Mond" and it was issued in 1934. Now you may think this a rather boring subject for a set of cards, but Ogdens obviously did not, for they issued another set, very similar, called "Trick Billiards", as performed by A. Newman-Mond, in 1934. This was not a relation of Tom Newman, as you may be thinking - it was one of the stage names of A. N. Redmond, who also used a second pseudonym of Newman Bond, and he was a magician, such a good one that he later became secretary of the Bolton Magic Circle. He does not appear to be on any other cards, or maybe he is, under yet another alias?