Though this Bedouin is shown with a horse, they are renowned as being camel people, breeding and refining them for strength and speed. Indeed the word camel comes from Arabic, and appears in much of their literature and poetry, right from the eleventh century B.C., This Arabic name is Ata Allah, which translates to "Gift of God", and that was an apt name for their value, for the camel provided transportation, milk, and were used as currency. Indeed the Bedouin revered the camel so highly that they would only eat them when they were unable to find any other food and in risk of starvation themselves.
This is the third and final set in this triumvirate which you can read more about with the Ogden`s version, which we featured as a Card of the Day on the 20th of May 2025.
The first time our South African version appears in any reference books, it is a round up, as part of RB.17, covering the issues of the British American Tobacco Company, which was published in 1952. That reads :
- 200-288 PICTURESQUE PEOPLE OF THE EMPIRE. The recordings in W/288, RB.15/131 and RB.17/147 are summarised below.
A. Wills` Overseas issue
B. Player Overseas issue, with `Drumhead` cigarettes.
C. U.T.C. issue
D. Ogden Home issue.
By the time of our original World Tobacco Issues Index , in 1956, it appears with the UTC listings,
under section 2, for "Issues 1918-43" and sub-section 2.A, for "Cards in English only" - as opposed to "Cards in English and Afrikaans" - as :
- PICTURESQUE PEOPLE OF THE EMPIRE. Sm.67 x 36. Nd. (25). See RB.21/200-288.C ... U14-26
This data is identical in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, only the card code being changed, to U560-510