So far this is the earliest set that we have been able to tie to actually having been issued in October - way back in 1899 - which is one hundred and twenty six years before its appearance here.
But let us start with the characters on our card. Phyllis McKee Rankin was born in 1874, the daughter of a theatrical family of some repute, her father being McKee Rankin and her mother Kitty Blanchard. She had two sisters, also actresses, one of whom, Doris, was the first wife of Lionel Barrymore; they had met when her father, McKee Rankin, was acting at the Arch Street Theater, co-operated by two women, Lionel Barrymore's grandmother and Sidney Drew`s mother. This theatre therefore was the result of two marriages, for Phyllis` other sister, Gladys, married Sidney Drew and was usually billed by his name, as Mrs. Sidney Drew. However she died in 1914, so later cards and postcards of her are actually of another actress, Lucille McVey, who seems to have just taken over the title of Mrs. Sidney Drew in real life as well as on stage.
There was also a son, Sidney Rankin Drew, who was killed in the First World War in May 1918; he was an aviator, one of the famed Lafayette Escadrille Memorial, and he is buried with his comrades at the Marnes-La-Coquette Memorial Cemetery, in France.
Phyllis Rankin`s first theatrical performance is said to have taken place in the summer of 1890, though it seems more likely that she merely stepped further to the front of the stage than she had done before. We know that she acted with her parents from the age of ten, and, almost certainly before. Her role in this 1890 play was also quite a grown up one, the abandoned wife of a French adventurer. She must have made an impression, though, as she gained a couple of other roles through it, one of which was as part of The Arabian Nights in New York.
In 1897 she was cast as Fifi Fricot in "The Belle of New York", on Broadway. That ran for only a week, but she was teamed with a fellow actor called Harry Davenport, and, as part of the show, they had to sing a romantic duet called "When We Are Married". And they were, in 1901. The press made much of her becoming his second wife, but actually she had also been married before, to a Henry Daniel Gibbs, since March, 1895. And they were still married when she was singing on stage to Mr. Davenport - they were not divorced until June, 1899. Not just that, but there were also two children from that marriage, one of whom was adopted as part of the new family.
Harold George Bryant Davenport was also of theatrical stock, his father being E.L. Davenport and Fanny Vining Davenport. He was also quite a bit older than Ms. Rankin, being born in January 1866, and he could also best her on his earliest appearance, as he was on stage first when he was only six. And he was at least divorced when they met, from an Alice Sheppard, who had been his wife from 1893 until 1896. They had a daughter, Dorothy Davenport, who appears on loads of cards. I am not sure how true it is, but reputedly Mr. Davenport was not that impressed by Phyllis Rankin; however he was completely awestruck by the thought that she was related, if only by marriage, to the great Barrymore Dynasty, and it does seem likely that this was his reason for courting her. The marriage does seem to have been very happy though, and they had three children of their own
She died in 1934, but Mr. Davenport kept working, moving to Los Angeles, and being known to be readily on call to play elderly character actors who had some gravitas. Today he is mainly known for playing the surgeon Dr. Meade in "Gone with the Wind" (1939) and Judy Garland`s "grandpa" in "Meet Me in St.Louis" (1944). And he worked almost until he died, of a heart attack, aged eighty-three.
This set is a curious one, more usually known as "Actresses (Belle of New York Series). There are also two variations of size, and two different qualities and colours of board which can only mean it was reprinted, at least once.
It first appears in our original Hill reference book, RB.2, published in 1942, in those two sections, namely ;
- 1899. Oct. 25. BELLE OF NEW YORK SERIES (untitled set) previously catalogued as "Actresses" and "Eminent Actresses". Fronts, printed by letterpress from screen blocks - black and white printing with a black border running off the edges. Titles in a small white panel below figure. Wide border at bottom with "Photo by W. & D. Downey expressly for Hill`s Cigarettes". Backs printed in black only. "The Seven Wonders of the World are Hills`s Imperial, Fine Art, British Gold Cigarettes and Hill`s Badminton, Sweet and Mild, Maycastle, Ranelagh Tobacco. Guaranteed pure by the manufacturers R. & J. Hill Ltd. (Establ. 1775), London, E." (This wording is displayed). Thin white art card - this shows plainest at the back, printing on back starts to read from left-hand side, and runs from bottom to top. Size 2 15/16" x 1 5/8".
- 25. BELLE OF NEW YORK SERIES (untitled set) as above, but printed on thick buff or brownish card - most noticeable from the backs, printing on back starts to read from right hand side, and runs from top to bottom. Size 2 15/16" x 1 1/2". The same photographs were used for both of he above issues but some fresh engravings were made; as the buff cards are narrower, parts of the background were omitted. The screen for the engravings will be found different for the two issues, also the formation of the words at the base varies. On the white card the panel for "Hills`s" measures almost 1 1/2", whereas on the buff card it is 1 1/16"; also the "S" in Hill`s is a different shape. Actually the whole of the wording for the base was redrawn. On card 10 (buff card) the title "Edna May" slopes; on the white card this is quite straight.
Unnumbered, but numbered here for convenience -
- Dora Card. Full length portrait
- Helen Dupont. Full length, in tights
- Helen Dupont. Profile, wearing hat with large feather at back of head, shoulders draped and flowers at breast
- Helen Dupont. Looking right but face turned towards camera. Turned up hat with flower trimmings on underbrim
- Helen Dupont. Half length portrait. Hat with lavish trimmings. Arm right across picture holding flowers (?)
- La Gitana. Deated, right hand under chin.
- Edna May. Head and shoulders. Wearing pearl collar, facing camera. Large "lover`s knot" worked on left hand side of gown.
- Edna May. Full length study. Standing sideways. Short gown with "lover`s knot" at bottom. Hands behind back
- Edna May. Same as 7 but eyes downcast - looking down
- Edna May. Head and shoulders, wearing large hat trimmed with flowers and plumes. Big bow under chin
- Edna May. Full length study, facing camera. Same hat as 10. Short gown; holding long baton in left hand
- Edna May. Head and shoulders, wearing Salvation Army bonnet
- Mabel Power. Seated at desk with an open book
- Phyllis Rankin. Full length portrait ; facing camera with skirt raised
- Phyllis Rankin. Head and shoulders, facing left. White in hair; spotted gown
- Phyllis Rankin. Full length study. Facing right and looking over her shoulder. Hands clasped behind.
- Phyllis Rankin. Head and shoulders. White spotted headdress; trail of foliage and flowers right across body, arm resting on a wall.
- Phyllis Rankin. Same headdress as 17, but without trail of flowers across body, Body turned towards right but face looking towards camera
- Phyllis Rankin and Harry Davenport (seated)
- Ella Snyder and Frank Lawton. Full length
- Ella Snyder. Head and shoulders study, Facing camera
- Ella Snyder. Full length portrait, short gown, holding chin in right hand
- Sylvia Thorne. Head and shoulders study, facing camera. Dark gown with white spots. Flowers (?) on left shoulder
- Sylvia Thorne. Head and shoulders study, body turned right but face towards camera, Light figured gown with bows on left shoulder
- Heloise Titcomb. Full length study. Facing towards camera. Frock raised to show petticoat
Most of the names above were actually in the production, namely Helen Dupont (as Cora Angelique, the Queen of Comic Opera), Frank Lawton (as Blinky Bill McGuire, a Mixed-ale Pugilist), Edna May (as Violet Gray, a Salvation Army Girl), Mabel Power (as Kitty Peach, a role I cannot track down more about), Phyllis Rankin (as Fifi Fricot, a little Parisienne), Ella Snyder (as Marjorie May, one of Cora Angelique`s bridesmaids), and Sylvia Thorne (as Myrtle Mince, another of Cora Angelique`s bridesmaids). However there are three exceptions, these being Dora Card (who was actually Edna May`s sister), La Gitana (actually a Spanish actress, often confused wrongly with Gertie Gitana, a British music hall star), and Heloise Titcomb (who is possibly the equestrian vaudeville artiste Heloise McCeney, stage name La Belle Titcomb - the Titcomb coming from her first husband, of three, a San Francisco dentist).
The set, (if you remember that, after my digression hunting through play bills?) next appears in the 1950 London Cigarette Card Company catalogue for 1950 as
- BW. 25. Actresses (Belle of New York Series) (1899) : - H.206
"The Seven Wonders..." back -
A. White back (41 x 75 m/m) ... odds 35/- to 100/-
B. Toned back, thick card (39 x 74 m/m) ... odds 35/- to 100/-
As far as the reference to H.206, that leads you to the handbook accompanying this volume, but all you find is a redirect, which reads "H.206. ACTRESSES - Belle of New York Series (Hill) - see Society Booklet No.2 , pages 2-3" and we have already added that listing above.
By the time of our original World Tobacco Issues Index, the listing is a bit different; any mention of those alternative identifying names being removed, and another new title being given. The entry now reads :
- ACTRESSES - Ha.206 (A) Known as "Belle of New York Series". Sm. Black and white. "The Seven Wonders..." back. Unnd. (25). See Ha.206. H46-4
A. Size 74 x 41. "Hill`s" oblong on front 31 m/m long
B. Size 74 x 39. "Hill`s" oblong on front 28 m/m long
This is slightly different in our updated version of that book, which adds a few details from earlier books, and reads :
- ACTRESSES - Ha.206 (A) Known as "Belle of New York Series". Sm. Black and white. "The Seven Wonders..." back. Unnd. (25). See Ha.206. H554-050
A. Size 74 x 41. "Hill`s" oblong on front 31 m/m long. Thinner card
B. Size 74 x 39. "Hill`s" oblong on front 28 m/m long. Thicker card, backs reversed from A.