This amazing card gave us the second most prolific tea-producing country, India, the bulk of whose tea is grown by and for Brooke Bond, who launched their "Red Label" brand in India in 1903. However the card also gave us "Planter`s" - a planter being the proper name for a person who owns, or manages, a tea estate And, even more than that, the card was originally issued in India, in Calcutta, which today, renamed Kolkata, is the tea capital of the entire country - as well as the site of the first ever tea auction to be held in India, on the 27th December 1861.
To continue our tea tale, there is conflict about how I ended yesterday. We know that in order to attempt to break the Chinese monopoly on tea, the British East India Company took some seeds, from the same plant that grew Chinese tea, and grew them in India. How they grew them was with a bit of a bribe, because they offered free land in Assam to any European who agreed to grow the seeds on it - and they would provide the seeds and all the advice they could (which they also copied from the Chinese). This seems to have worked, to a fashion, because only the Europeans drank it, it never gained popular acceptance with the Indians until the 1950s. The truth behind that, though, is that the Indians had their own sort of tea, from a totally different plant, the Sanjeevani, which they had been happily consuming for many centuries, and which also has health benefits. In fact a version of it, now long lost, is quoted in the Ramayana, as having brought Lakshmana back to life after she has died of her injuries.
India was once the top tea producing country in the world, but China crept back in front. This seems to be because most of the production is used within the country, rather than being exported.
Now the lady on our card today may not be known to any of our current readers, but she is not only an actress, as you may believe. Her full name was Jeanne Douste de Fortis, and she was born on the fourth of December, 1872, in London, her name coming from the fact that both her parents were French. Her childhood was unremarkable until one day, when she was about four years old, and she started to play the piano, very well, without any knowledge of music. That brought her to the attention of a lot of people, and soon she was appearing in concerts all over London. When she was only five she was asked to go to Buckingham Palace and play for the Queen, who presented her with a golden pearl cross.
At the age of seven, she toured America, with her older sister, Louise, who had been born in 1864; then they toured Europe, for a long time. She also appeared in "Hansel and Gretel", as Gretel, at the Gaiety Theatre in 1895. And it looks like this costume possibly comes from "The Gay Pretenders", a stage production, from 1900, in which she played Lady Katherine Gordon.
Her showbusiness life only seemed to stop in 1901, when she got married, to a singer, Eduoard Garceau.
The only other thing I have been able to find out is that in 1935 he wrote a book about his wife and her sister, called "The Little Doustes".
And that Jeanne Douste died on the 12th of July 1968
This card is quite a rarity, and it is the first time that I have ever used a card from any of the FROGA series as a Card of the Day, (and now, after typing what follows, I know why !). However as I go back further through the newsletters, I will definitely be hunting for a card which could be replaced with the Faulkner version of this set which provides the initial letter, F, of FROGA. But until that time this version will be pressed into service as the home page for what is quite a fascinating and widely issued set of cards.
Our version of the set is listed in our original World Tobacco Issues Index as :
The PLANTER`S Stores and Agency Co. Ltd., Calcutta, India
Cards indicate the firm was agent for "Nailers Cigarettes". Issued about 1900-3
- ACTRESSES - "FROGA" (A). Sm. 70 x 38. Unnd. (36 known). See H.20 and Ha.20 ... P68-1
Their only other issue of our company was another set issued by many companies in many different places, and that is known as Actresses FECKSA, but you can read more about that with our Card of the Day for the 8th of January, 2026
The handbooks, to which the H. numbers refer, were produced by the two leading cartophilists of the time, Charles Lane Bagnall of the London Cigarette Card Company, who published them, uniform with the company catalogue, and Edward Wharton-Tigar of the Cartophilic Society. H.20 refers to the first volume, covering cards from 1888 to 1919, in which all four series of this set are catalogued. However as it is a really lengthy list, and our issuer only issued sections A and B, I shall confine this listing to just those first two sections as :
H.20. ACTRESSES - "FROGA" (adopted title). Code letters taken from Faulkner, Richmond-Cavendish, Ogden, Goodbody, Archer. Fronts per Fig.20, in colour or unicoloured. Unnumbered series.
There are FOUR different series, all basically similar in style to the card illustrated in Fig.20; in some cases the lower scroll is missing, or is replaced by a plain oblong. The Ogden miniature playing card issue bears the portraits shortened and reduced, and there is no scroll. Some actors occur in Groups C and D.
The original series of 26 subjects (Group A) has previously been listed as "Eminent Actresses" (as titled in the Goodbody issue). Two of the Groups (B and C) have previously been recorded together as a Series of 50 - as will be seen from the detail given, some firms did in fact issue cards from both B and C as one series, but other firms seem only to have used cards in one or the other. There are other instances where firms have made up series from two of the Groups, and in all cases where doubt exists as to the make-up of the series full detail is given of the cards seen.
GROUP A - ACTRESSES - SERIES OF 26
pre-1919
Anonymous - Unicoloured, plain back. Nos. 1-26 Archer - Coloured. Two series, both made up from cards in Groups A and B :- 1. "M.F.H." back - Group A : No.4 seen. Group B : Nos. 1, 8, 11, 12, 18-20, 23, 24, and 26 seen 2. "Golden Returns" back - Group A : Nos. 17-19 and 22 seen. Group B : Nos.2-7.a, 9, 10, 13-17, 22, and 25 seen Biggs - Coloured, "Two Roses" in white on front. Nos. 1-26 Cadle - Unicoloured, "Sweet Lips" back. Nos. 1-26 Churchman - Coloured, "Ask for and Smoke ... " back. Nos. 1-26 Cohen Weenen - Unicoloured, "Houseboat" back. Nos. 1-26 Cope - Unicoloured, black scroll back. Nos. 1-26 Faulkner - Coloured, "Golden Whiffs" back. Nos. 1-26 Goodbody - Coloured, titled "Eminent Actresses" on back. Nos. 1-26 Hignett - Coloured, "Golden Butterfly" back. Nos. 1-26 Hill - Coloured, "For a Delightful Smoke..." back. Nos. 1-26 Hudden - Coloured, "Hudden & Co. Ltd." back. Nos. 1-26 L. & Y Tobacco Co. - Coloured, "Smoke Bull Dog Flake" back. No.21 seen. Morris - Unicoloured :- 1. "Borneo Queen" back. All seen except Nos. 20 and 26. 2. "Gold Seals" back. Nos. 2-12, 17, 21, 23, and 25 seen. 3. "Morris`s Cigarettes" back. Nos. 5, 6, 9, 11, 15, 16, 18, 20, and 26 seen 4. "Tommy Atkins" back. Nos. 1, 7, and 12-16 seen Muratti - Coloured : - 1. Small cards, "To the Cigarette Connoisseur" back. Nos. 1-26 2. Small cards, "Zinnia" back. Nos. 1-26 3. Cabinet size, brown and yellow ornamental framework, "Neb-Ka" back. Nos. 1,5,6,9, 11-13, 15-18, 20, 22, 23, 25, and 26 seen. Ogden 1. Unicoloured, dominoes on reverse side :- (a) Domino with corners mitred. Nos. 8, 13, 15, 17, 22, 23 and 25 only (b) Domino with plain corners. Nos. 2, 3, 9, 16, 18, 20, and 16 only. In both cases the seven portraits are found each with several different domino values 2. Coloured, miniature playing cards on reverse side (Numeral 46). Nos. 1-26. Quinton - Coloured, "Quinton`s High Class...." back. Nos. 7, 9, 15, 17, and 24 seen. Richmond Cavendish - Coloured, "Pioneer" back. Nos. 1-26 Roberts - Coloured, "H.A.C." back. Nos. 7, 9, 13, 17, 19, and 20 seen Trade :
Ellis Davis (tea) - Coloured, rubber stamp back. One card seen Dunn (hats) - Coloured, "Messrs. J. A. Dunn & Co." back. Nos. 3 and 25 seen overseas
Chas. J. Mitchell, Toronto Canada - Coloured - A. Brown back, "Sole Export Agents, The Imperial Cigarette and Tobacco Co., Canada. Nos. 19 and 20 seen. B. Green back, "Sole Export Agents..." 12 brands listed. Nos. 7, 19-21, 23-26 seen Planter`s Stores, Calcutta India - Coloured, "Nailers Cigarettes" back. No. 15 seen (See Group B)
- Esme Beringer
- Miss Cynthia Brooke (full face)
- Miss Constance Collier (hands in hair)
- Miss Fortescue (short hair)
- Violet Friend
- Miss Hetty Hamer
- Annie Hughes
- Agnes Huntington
- Miss Ellis Jeffreys
- Miss Winifred Johnson
- Miss Kelly
- Miss R. Kennedy
- Flo Levey
- Miss Florence Levey
- Millie Lindon (gazing upwards)
- Millie Lindon (hands in front)
- Millie Lindon (fan at back)
- Millie Lindon (mantilla)
- Miss May Palfrey (flower on hat)
- Ida Rene (hand to shoulder)
- Ide Rene (with hat)
- Miss Sedohr Rhodes
- Miss St. Cyr
- Miss Sylvester
- Miss Blanche Vaudon
- Miss Keith Wakeman
GROUP B - ACTRESSES - SERIES OF 26
pre-1919
Archer - Coloured. "M.F.H." and "Golden Returns" back (see Group A) Biggs - Coloured. "Two Roses" in black on front. Nos. 5-7.a, 8, 9, 13, 14, 19, 21, and 25 seen. Cadle - Coloured, "Straight Cut" back. Nos. 1, 3, 4, 7.a, 8, 10-15, 17-22, and 25 seen Churchman - Coloured, "For the Pipe..." back. Nos. 1, 2, 5, 7.a, 8, 15, 17, and 25 seen Mitchell - 1. Coloured scroll oblong at base of front. Series made up from cards in Groups B and C :- Group B - Nos. 1-7.a, 8-12, 14-18, 20-22, and 24-26 seen. Group C - Nos.1-25 seen - 2. Unicoloured, plain oblong at base of front, Nos. 1-4, 6, 7.a, 8-13, 15-17, and 19-26 seen Morris - Coloured large cards, "Smoke Morris`s High Class Cigarettes" on front. Nos. 5, 17, 19 and 26 seen. Ogden - Coloured, minature playing cards (no numeral). All seen (including No.7.b, not 7.a). Captions differ from other issuers at Nos. 1, 4, 7.b, 23, and 24. Ogden captions appear in quotation marks, in parenthesis, in the listing. Group B - Nos. 1-3, 5-7.a, 8-10, 13-22, 24, and 26 seen. Group C - Nos. 1-25 seen Pritchard & Burton - Coloured, "Smoke Pritchard & Burton`s Cigarettes" back. Series made up from cards in Groups B and C : - Trade
Edmondson (confectionery) - Unicoloured, "Ask for Edmondson`s..." back. Nos. 16, 19, 22, and 23 seen. Overseas
Chas. J. Mitchell, Toronto Canada - Coloured, with Playing Card inset. "Chas J. Mitchell& Co. Sole Agents, The Imperial Cigarette & Tobacco Co., Canada" back. Nos. 20 (2 Hearts), 21 (K Clubs), 22, (7 Clubs) and 23 (2 Spades) seen. Planters Stores, Calcutta, India - Coloured, "Nailers Cigarettes" back. Series made up from cards in Groups A and B ; - Group A - No. 15 seen Group B - All seen, including 7.a, NOT 7.b)
- Madame Albani ["Albani"]
- Dorothea Baird
Miss Cynthia Brooke (see 7.b)- Clara Butt
- Madame Calve [Calve]
- Mrs. Patrick Campbell
- Cavania
- (a) Constance Collier (side face)
(b) Miss Cynthia Brooke ["Cynthia Brooke"]- Constance Collier (full face)
- Kate Cutler
- Jeanne Douste
- Miss Elton
- Lettice Fairfax (half length)
- Lettice Fairfax (three quarter length)
- Helen Ferrers
- Miss Fortescue
- Evie Greene
- Lilly Hanbury
- Millie Legarde
- Eveline Millard
- Nordica
- Miss Palfrey
- Ida Rene (pendant necklace)
- Kate Rocke ["Kate Rorke"]
- Mrs. E. Terriss ["Ellaline Terriss"]
- Mrs. Tree
- Violet Vanbrugh
NOTE : Card 7.a is an error, for Cynthia Brooke.
Now some of this was corrected quite quickly, and in the accompanying handbook for card issues from 1920 to 1940, issued just four years later in 1954, the following update appears :
Ha.20. ACTRESSES "FROGA"
GROUP A
Anonymous, plain back - This printing is found (A) Unicoloured (B) Coloured Archer - 1. "M.F.H." back. Nos. 1 and 10 in Group A seen. Chas. J. Mitchell, Toronto - Both printings (A) and (B) consist of Nos. 1-26. GROUP B
Biggs - "Two Roses" in black on front. No.21 seen, with caption "Miss May Palfrey" Pritchard & Burton - Series believed to consist of 50 subjects - Nos. 1-3, 5-7.a, 8-26 in Group A, Nos. 1-25 in Group B Chas. J. Mitchell, Toronto - The detail under H.20 is incorrect, as fronts do not have Playing Card insets, but backs have playing cards in centre. Series believed to consist of Nos. 1-26 (excluding No.7.b), each front being found with each of two playing card values on back. Planter`s Stores, Calcutta - Following now seen in Group A : Nos. 4, 6, 12, 15, 17, 20-22, 25 and 26.
By the time of our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, there has been a bit of a change, more cards having been discovered, for it is recorded as :
The PLANTER`S Stores and Agency Co. Ltd., Calcutta, India
Cards indicate the firm was agent for "Nailers Cigarettes". Issued about 1900-3
- ACTRESSES - "FROGA" (A). Sm. 70 x 38. Unnd. (47 known). See H.20 and Ha.20 ... P628-100
Now these sets also appear in the modern handbook, but there is not time to add that tonight. But hopefully I will find some time to do so by the weekend....
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