Michele RB.5 – The Cigarette Card Issues of Abdulla & Co., Adkin & Sons, & E. & W. Anstie
Editor – Eric Gurd
Printer - Parker Brothers, St. Albans, Herts
Date of completion – May 1943
Date of Publication – 1943
Limited Edition of - 400
Original cost – 2/6 post free
Pages – 20
Illustrations – none
Out of Print by – 1950
This was our fifth Reference Book, and the first covering the cards of more than one issuer. It was written by Eric Gurd, author, and editor of our magazine, and it was published in 1943 as a limited edition of 400 copies, once more by Parker Brothers.
Its first mention is in our magazine, "The Bulletin", of December 1941 (Vol.2 No. XXIX) - on the front page, under the heading of Research, where it states that the Research Committee "announce they are now investigating the issues of Abdulla, Adkin, Anstie, Archer and Ardath Tobacco Co. Information relating to any sets not catalogued in recognised catalogues or other data will be appreciated. The findings of the Committee will be published, probably in pamphlet form, after work has been completed."
The work on Abdulla, Adkin and Anstie made this booklet, RB.5, in 1943, and Ardath became RB.6 in the same year.
The work on Archer never materialised.
By the time that our W.D. & H.O. Wills (part IV) Reference Book, No.16, was published, in 1950, Abdulla, Adkin and Anstie had joined the ranks of those no longer available, and it stated "covered copies out of print. A few un-covered copies are still available"
Many years passed until a new reprint was produced; the decision was made to redo the cover into a plainer green format, but all the interior text remains the same.
[LIBRARY CODE A.05]