Here we have a military tent, which, you may be surprised to learn, was first used by the Romans. These were made of cow hides, pulled taut over poles - and this is where we get the word "tent", from "tendere", in Latin, which means "to stretch".
Their general soldiers` tents were almost seven feet square and approximately six feet high, and accommodated eight men, whilst the centurions, or officers, had a tent all to themselves, which was taller, not only so it was easily spotted amongst the others, but also because they would meet with other leaders, speak to their men, or interview prisoners inside the tent, so it needed to be imposing. Like the tents of today, all of these stayed up whilst they were in one place, then they were packed away before the group moved on, and loaded on to a mule.
This is not the first ever Wills advertisement card, but it appears to be the first we have used, so it assumes the mantle of being the home page, for now, until we use the earliest of all. Also, as we use them, we will move the relevant information on that section of the listing over to the card it refers to, and just add a link to here.
Our original reference book RB.3, to the Cigarette Card Issues of W.D. & H.O. Wills, published in 1942, lists these cards first, with the following preamble :
- Advertisement Cards.
One year before "Woodbines" and "Cinderella" cigarettes were introduced - 1888 - Wills started to use printed cigarette cards. The printers, Messrs. Mardon, Son & Hall, state they producd a type-set card printed in two colours, but unfortunately specimens have not yet come to light. Also it is stated a card showing a representation of a "Gold Flake" packet was put into circulation in 1888 : no-one, however, seems to have preserved a copy.
Wills started to make cigarettes by hand in 1874. "Gold Flake" was introduced in 1883, and until 1897 any stiffeners were quite plain.
During 1889 the forerunner of all Wills`s coloured Advertisement cards made its appearance. This was on very thin, almost paper-like material, and slightly larger than the size we call standard today. This card advertises "Three Castles" cigarettes on the front, and shows a picture of a serving maid knocking on an ornate door, carrying a tray of cigarette packets. The back advertises 14 cigarette brands, packed "in paper packages".
It is thought a group of cards was issued in 1890, but this has not been definitely proved and further mention will be made of the matter later.
In 1893, a group of four cards made their appearance ; two reproduced patent air tight tins of tobacco - opened ; " Gold Flake Honey Dew" and "The Three Castles Tobacco". The third showed a packet of "Superfine Shagg Tobacco" (note the old spelling) and the fourth a flat packing of "Gold Flake, a mild coarse cut pipe tobacco". All four are printed on the backs in black and red.
Another group followed, believed to be four -
A. Girl with a large tobacco leaf inscribed "Wills` Gold Flake". Back advertises "Gold Flake Tobacco"
B. Sailors on deck, inscribed "Capstan Navy Cut"
C. Similar to "B" but back "Navy Cut `Capstan` cigarettes in cartons of 10, etc"
D. Birds Smoking Party - birds seated round a table, inscribed "Wills`s Best Bird`s Eye." Back "The Original Bristol Bird`s Eye, etc."
The main emission of 1894 consisted of reproductions of three famous Show Cards :-
1. A maiden, seated, with a basket of packets
2. A boy and girl, with a dog, outside an old fashioned tobacconists, with caption at the bottom "Father says - "Must be Wills."
3. Interior scene. Husband and wife seated near the fire. Child and dog just returned, inscribed "It`s all right, Father, `tis Wills."
There are seven different types of backs for each of these -
A. "Autumn Gold" Cigarettes
B. "Best Bird`s Eye" Cigarettes
C. "Eothen" Cigarettes
D. "Passing Cloud" Cigarettes
E. "Pole Star" Cigarettes
F. "Sahara" Cigarettes
G. "The Three Castles" Cigarettes
In 1 the variety appears both on the front and back, but in 2 and 3 the variety is only on the backs.
There is one other group to be recorded, believed to be three, but these may have been issued separately -
1. Ship`s deck scene, with a cask of tobacco and sailors , advertising "Three Castles". Backs, "The Three Castles Tobacco" etc.
2. Soldiers and Tents - military scene, inscribed "Tobacco in Patent Air-Tight Tins. W.D. & H.O. Wills." Backs , "Wills` High Class Tobacco... W.D. & H.O. Wills Limited. "
3. "Westward Ho!" packet design. Back "Westward Ho!" Smoking Mixture
It is thought this group may have been issued in 1890 without "Limited" in the title, and re-issued 1893/4 with this word added. It will be noted no.2 above does not include this word on the front, although it is included on the back.
Our second Wills reference book, RB.11, "The Cigarette Card Issues of W.D. & H.O. Wills Part I (revised) and Part II" was published in 1948 and it saw a major change, as it numbered all the sets, giving us the first ever Wills` card codes - and our set was given the code of W/1. There had also been discoveries in the interim period, of more cards, and so the text reads :
- 1. ADVERTISEMENT CARDS - see pages 3-5
Five further cards have come to light - additions to the group referred to in the third paragraph on page 4. Nine titles of this 1893 group are thus known, all depicting packings of tobacco, with black and red printings on backs.
1. The "Four Seasons" Tobacco
2. "Gold Flake"
3. "Gold Flake" Honey Dew
4. "Leathery Fox" Tobacco
5. "Superfine Shagg" Tobacco
6. The "Three Castles" Tobacco (green, black and gold tin)
7. The "Three Castles" Tobacco (yellow, red and gold tin)
8. "Traveller" Brand Golden Flaked Cavendish
9. "Westward Ho!" Smoking Mixture
An illustrated recapitulation of all known early Advertisement Cards is planned to appear in the next Wills section
That third volume of the Wills listings, RB.14, "The Cigarette Card Issues of W.D. & H.O. Wills Parts I and II (revised) and Part III", was published in 1949. It did indeed list all the cards, but it also included a picture (which is proving impossible to scan, mainly because it seems to be taken off another image, presumably from a magazine, so I will try to find that as it will almost certainly be of better quality. The listing reads :
- 1. ADVERTISEMENT CARDS - see pages 3-5 and 45.
Two further cards have been seen since the publication of Part II and it appears likely that other cards were issued. An illustration of cards known appears at Fig,28, with references linked to the following recapitulations.
A. 1888 issues. Messrs Mardon, Son & Hall state that the firm produced a type set card printed in two colours, and a card showing a reproduction of a "Gold Flake" tens packet No specimens of these cards have been seen.
B. 1889-90 issue. Serving maiden knocking at door. This is the earliest coloured card issued by Wills. Back headed "W.D, & H,O, Wills, Tobacco, snuff, cigar and cigarette Manufacturers...." with a list of fifteen brands. Printed on thin almost paper-like material, No limited liability indication appears on this card..
C. 1890-93 issues. Reproductions of Wills` Tobacco Packings. Backs printed in black and red, with advertisements for seven brands of tobacco. All cards seem bear "Limited" after Wills` name, indicating issue in 1893 or later. Some cards bear indications that the full stop after Wills` name has been altered to a comma, with the word "Limited" added; this gives weight to the theory that these and/or similar cards may have been issued in 1890-92 without the limited liability indication. Subjects known :
1. Best Bird`s Eye Tobacco
2. The "Four Seasons" Tobacco
3.. "Gold Flake"
4.. "Gold Flake" Honey Dew
5. "Leathery Fox" Tobacco
6. "Old Dominion" Tobacco
7. "Superfine Shagg" Tobacco
8. The "Three Castles" Tobacco (green, black and gold tin)
9. The "Three Castles" Tobacco (yellow, red and gold tin)
10.. "Traveller" Brand Golden Flaked Cavendish
11. "Westward Ho!" Smoking Mixture
D. 1893 issue. Reproductions of Wills` Showcards. It is believed that all three cards were issued with each of seven different back advertisements -
Fronts :
1. "Father says - "Must be Wills."
2. "It`s all right, Father, `tis Wills."
3. Maiden with basket of flowers
Backs :
A. "Autumn Gold"
B. "Best Bird`s Eye"
C. "Eothen"
D. "Passing Cloud"
E. "Pole Star"
F. "Sahara"
G. "The Three Castles"
In the case of card No.3, the different brands (A to G above) also appear on the front of the card.
E. 1893-4 issue. Reproductions of Wills` Posters. One card (No.3 below) is known with each of two different brand advertisements, and other varieties may come to light -
Fronts : Backs :
1. "Westward Ho!" design (a) "Westward Ho!"
2. Soldiers and tents (a) "Wills`s High Class Tobaccos"
3. Sailors on deck (a) "Navy Cut Cigarettes"
(b) "Wills`s Navy Cut"
4. Girl with tobacco leaf (a) "Gold Flake" Tobacco
5. Deck scene with casks (a) "The Three Castles" Tobacco
6. Birds` smoking party (a) Best "Bird`s Eye Tobacco
These cards did not appear in the fourth Wills booklet, RB.16, "The Cigarette Card Issues of W.D. & H.O. Wills Parts I, II, and III (revised) and Part IV", published in 1950. However, the fifth booklet started off with an even bigger discovery, that being :
- 1. ADVERTISEMENT CARDS - see pages 3-5, 45, and 81-2.
Four cards believed to be from the 1888 issue referred to on page 82, have been found, and are illustrated at Fig. 28-A.
Paragraphs A and B on page 82 can thus be revised as follows -
A. 1888 issues. Reproductions of Wills Cigarette Packings (Fig.28-A)
Subjects knows (all tens cigarette packets) -
1. "Gold Flake" - green background, border in gold
2. "Best Bird`s Eye" - brown background, border in black
3. "Dubec" - green background, border in gold
4. "The Three Castles"" - green background, border in gold
Printed on thin almost paper -like material. No limited liability indication appears on the cards. Back in black, with frameline, as follows -
"W.D. & H.O. WILLS, Tobacco, Snuff, Cigar and Cigarette Manufacturers
CIGARETTES in Paper Packets
"LOUISVILLE" .................. mild
"HEARTSEASE" ................. medium
"EVENING STAR"................ full flav.
"PASHA"............................. Turkish
BEST BIRD`S EYE
"GOLD FLAKE"
HONEY DEW
"HAWTHORN"................... .medium
RUSSIAN........................... mild
"OLD VIRGINIAN"............... strong
"PASSING CLOUDS".......... mild
"THREE CASTLES"............. very mild
"GARFIELD"........................ pressed, amber tips
"DUBEC" ............................ fine aroma
As cards illustrating four of the brands quoted above have now been found, it may well be that the others were also issued
B. 1889-90 issue. Serving maid knocking at door (Fig.28 - item B). Printed on thin paper-like material as in A., without limited liability indication; identical back wording as in A., but without frameline.
The design of this card is the same as that on a U.S.A. card issued by D. E. Rose, New York (see Burdick No.446), in the series "Imperial Cards". The caption on the D. E. Rose card reads : "Sallie Wilson in "Morning Dew", and the lady is carrying a posy and a letter in place of the cigarette packages shown on the Wills card, otherwise the two designs were obviously prepared from the same original.
In our original World Tobacco Issues Index this has been cleaned up quite a lot, and all the amendments added in, not just together, but in the right place. Therefore that entry reads :
- 1. EARLY ISSUES WITHOUT I.T.C. CLAUSE. Series prepared up to 1902 for home and/or export brands
1A. THE EARLY ADVERTISEMENT CARDS. Issued 1888-95, mostly in U.K. Listed in probable order of issue - See C.W. pages 1226-9, and W/1. Small size, 65-67 x 35-36 m/m. Unnumbered.
* THE SERVING MAID (A), Dark brown border. Single card issue. See W/1.B ... W62-1
* CIGARETTE PACKINGS (A). Dark brown or gold borders, dark backgrounds. 4 known. See W/1.A ... W62-2
* TOBACCO PACKINGS (A). White backgrounds, no borders. 11 known. See W/1.C. W62-3
* CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENT CARDS (A). Red framelines, white border. Series of 3, See W/1.D, each with seven back advertisements ... W62-4
A. "Autumn Gold" Cigarettes
B. "Best Bird`s Eye" Cigarettes
C. "Eothen" Cigarettes
D. "Passing Cloud" Cigarettes
E. "Pole Star" Cigarettes
F. "Sahara" Cigarettes
G. "The Three Castles" Cigarettes
* TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENT CARDS (A). Red framelines, white border. Series of 6, See W/1.E. Five vari-backed, one seen with two backs. W62-5
This is very slightly altered in our updated version of this work, to read :
- 1. EARLY ISSUES WITHOUT I.T.C. CLAUSE. Series prepared up to 1902 for home and/or export brands
1A. THE EARLY ADVERTISEMENT CARDS. Issued 1888-95, mostly in U.K. Listed in probable order of issue - See C.W. pages 1226-9, and W/1. Small size, 65-67 x 35-36 m/m. Unnumbered.
* THE SERVING MAID (A), Dark brown border. Single card issue. See W/1.B ... W675-001
A. Size 65 x 36. "Three Castles Cigarettes" 30 mm long
B. Size 67 x 38. "Three Castles Cigarettes" 28 mm long, picture redrawn
* CIGARETTE PACKINGS (A). Dark brown or gold borders, dark backgrounds. 4 known. See W/1.A ... W675-002
* TOBACCO PACKINGS (A). White backgrounds, no borders. 11 known. See W/1.C. W675-005
* CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENT CARDS (A). Red framelines, white border. Series of 3, See W/1.D, each with seven back advertisements ... W675-007
A. "Autumn Gold" Cigarettes
B. "Best Bird`s Eye" Cigarettes
C. "Eothen" Cigarettes
D. "Passing Cloud" Cigarettes
E. "Pole Star" Cigarettes
F. "Sahara" Cigarettes
G. "The Three Castles" Cigarettes
* TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENT CARDS (A). Red framelines, white border. Series of 6, See W/1.E. Five vari-backed, one seen with two backs. W675-009