Here we have simply "Pier", but I am fairly certain that this is Dunoon Pier, in the Highlands of Scotland. The first pier at Dunoon was built in 1835, for the sole purpose of being a landing stage for paddle steamers. It was so popular that it was enlarged in 1867 (with the addition of a covered waiting room) and again in 1881, at which point it was also lengthened. The pier building shown on our card dates from the total rebuild in 1895.
It was in regular use until 2009, when it was struck by a paddle-steamer called the Waverley. Both the craft and the pier were damaged and some of the passengers injured. It seems that the pier was abandoned and started to fall into disrepair. In fact there was an application to pull down the building shown and build something else - this was only stopped due to public opposition, which grew ever stronger towards restoring the pier once it was featured on a set of Royal Mail stamps in 2014. Within the year, restoration was underway. However, as I type, it is still not entirely finished, and funds are running low.
There are two versions of this set described in our original World Tobacco Issues Index as :
- VILLAGE MODELS SERIES. Size (a) small (b) medium, 68 x 62. Nd. ... M122-46
- First 25 subjects. See Ha.591
- Inscribed "Second" (25)
This is much lengthened in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, and it now reads :
- VILLAGE MODELS SERIES. Nd. ... . M757-760
- First 25 subjects, 1/25. Space above series title blank. Size (A) Sm. (B) Md. 68 x 62.
- Second 25 subjects, 1/25.
(a) Sm., space above series title blank. Identical format to first 25 subjects
(b) Inscribed "Second" at top of back. (A) Sm. (B. Md. 68 x 62
Now I thought it would be interesting at this point to show you the small sized version of our card - as you can see, it is the same card, but the large word "PIER" has been reduced in size and fitted in with half of the instructions above the top of the jetty, whilst the other half of the instructions moves below the bottom of the jetty. The back is similar, but a bit more compact, and as soon as I can acquire a picture of one I will add it in.
Now I had not forgotten that Ha.591 reference, but it takes us off on a bit of a tangent, so I wanted to deal with our set(s) first. It actually leads us to the original London Cigarette Card Co. Handbook, published in 1950, and gives us something really fascinating, for Mitchell were not the only issuer. The text reads :
- Ha.591 VILLAGE MODELS SERIES. (titled series). Front in colour; cards when cut out form a model village. Numbered series of 25.
Mitchell. A. Small size
B. Medium size
Wills (Overseas) - A. Small size
B. Medium size
Mitchell also issued a Second Series
: We also have the catalogue for 1950, which gives the retail price of the Mitchell version as
- 42. Village Models (Apr. 1925) - Ha.591 odds sets
A. Small size 1/- 30/-
B. Medium size, 68 x 62 mm 1/6 50/-
So, now it has been discovered, lets have a chat about that Wills version. That was first listed in our original Wills reference book part IV, or, more correctly, RB.16 – The Cigarette Card Issues of W.D. & H.O. Wills Parts I, II, and III (revised) and Part IV, also published in 1950. In there it is described as :
- 340. 25. VILLAGE MODELS SERIES. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour, cut and perforated to stand out. Backs in black, with descriptive text. issued in New Zealand, between 1925-30.
A. Small cards, size 69 x 38 m/m
B. Medium cards, size 69 x 62 m/m
Similar series issued by Mitchell, (1st Series)
When the five Wills reference books were reprinted beneath a hard cover in the 1970s, a table of dates was also included, which reveals that the Wills version was circulated in June 1925, just two months after our Mitchell one. And there is a further discovery about this Wills version in our updated World Tobacco Issues index, and that is that you can collect the small sized cards either in an embossed form, or as plain cut out cards.
Now number one of the series shows the kind of model village diorama which you could set up using these cards.
The full set of cards are :
First Series
- The Village shewing the 24 models
- Inn - "Old White Horse, Edinburgh"
- Shop (actually a Tobacconist and Newsagent)
- Dovecote
- School
- Church
- Smithy
- Keep
- Dairy
- Old Barn
- Cottage
- Bridge
- The Old Stocks
- Stable
- Poultry House
- Water Mill
- Village Pump
- Farm House
- Pigstye
- Almshouse
- Post Office
- Manse
- Dog Kennel
- "Mercat Cross" Edinburgh
- Wall
Second Series
- Seaside Village - Key
- Bungalow
- Cocoa Nut Shy
- Charabanc
- Buoy
- Golf Club House
- Drinking Fountains
- Garage
- Shelter
- Picture Palace (front) Cinema (reverse)
- Police Station
- Lightship
- Punch and Judy
- Lifeboat (front) The Lifeboat (reverse)
- Pleasure Steamer
- Fishing Boat
- Bandstand
- Hotel
- Fisherman`s Cottage
- Pier
- Lighthouse
- Tobacco Kiosk (advertising "Smoke Mitchell`s Prize Crop" and "Try Tam O`Shanter Tobacco")
- Town Hall
- Bathing Machine
- Windmill