This book, published at the 2018 Convention in Kings Lynn, is a timely attempt to provide a historic record of a very large comprehensive selection of all the many and varied embroidered silk and lace designs which were issued in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s by Tobacco & Trade Companies in Holland, Germany and South Africa.
This wonderful work contains 273 pages with over 7,100 colour illustrations of individual designs, and also covers other aspects relating to their issue, things like advertisements, insert tokens, and packets, to name but a few. The designs cover a wide range of subjects including flowers, birds, butterflies, animals, figures, military dress, scenes, cartoon characters, art deco, geometric and other miscellaneous features. And we are delighted to say the book illustrations include many of the large sized embroidered silk premium issues, items that are extremely scarce and difficult to find.
The book is divided into four sections namely the Dutch Issues, German Issues, South African Issues and a comprehensive listing of the single set of Tobacco ‘leathers’ issued in Germany in 1936. The coloured illustrations are subdivided into groups and are scaled to size.
It is very fortunate that so many of these designs have survived to this day bearing in mind their original purpose, to decorate clothing and household items, and the intervening World War. We believe the issue, collection and recording of these designs play a small but interesting part in the world of Cartophily, and we are proud to be able to tell their story.