Newsletter - 2021-12-04

Saturday, 27th November 2021

This is a strange coincidence as “Pele” is only the nickname of the famous Brazilian footballer, Edson Arantes do Nasciment.; in actual fact his first name was to supposed to be Edison, and yes, it was in honour of Thomas Edison, but his parents had second thoughts and dropped the “I”. Unfortunately there was a problem with the birth certificate, some say that his parents did not like to correct the officials, or did not stop them in time, whilst others prefer that the registrar made the mistake all on their own – but either way, his birth certificate quotes “Edison” for all time.

These double sided cards not only celebrate one of the key players from another side that we had to watch out for in the forthcoming World Cup in Mexico. They were very eagerly collected, because, of course the previous World Cup had been in 1966, our great win. Sadly we were knocked out that year, by West Germany, (3 goals to our two) and Brazil won the whole event, beating Italy 4-1 in the Final. Pele scored one of the goals too, but he did not appear in the 1974 World Cup. The truth of the why he chose to do this was not revealed until much later, and you can read the story here

Now by an enormous stroke of luck, here is the original report on these cards, extracted from an original vintage edition of “Cartophilic Notes and News” - I just forgot to write down the date, so will add it later.

This set is first catalogued in our original British Trade Index Part III, as : 

World Cup 1970. 76 x 56. Nd. (48) … ANF-20

In this book the issues of Anglo-American Chewing Gum and Anglo Confectionery are split into two sections. However in our updated British Trade Index the two are together under Anglo Confectionery Ltd, though the former are identified by (AA) after the title. The simple truth is that Anglo-American Chewing Gum changed its name in the mid 1960s, and became Anglo Confectionery. This must not have been known at the time of our original British Trade Index, though it could conceivably have been guessed, given that both used Anglo and were both based in Halifax.

The listing for this set in that updated British Trade Index is :

WORLD CUP. 1970. 76 x 56. Sketches. Nd. (48). Backs have sketches of football hints. … ANG-450

Curiously this entry is not strictly correct, as often happens when you describe a set from a few cards, or maybe even just one. For as you will see if you visit our Card of the Day for 4 May 2024  not all of the backs do have “sketches of football hints”, some, as we show there, have flags and team details. So, in the interests of future collectors, we must feature both.

After all, we feature multi-backs in the cigarette card-world. Why differ with trade ? 

Sunday, 28th November 2021

At one time Christmas lights, in the house, and on the tree, would be candles, perilously perched in close proximity to flammable pine needles. You may be thinking thankfully nowadays we are far more safety conscious, but, of course, at that time, and especially in the home of the Christmas tree, Europe, candle power was all there was.

So to my original vintage limited edition volume of the Cartophilic Reference Book, number 10, “The Cigarette Card Issues of W.A. & A.C. Churchman”, issued in 1948, and written by Edward Wharton Tigar. I notice his initials are E.C.W.T., and my curiosity wonders what the “C” stood for. I will have to go on a hunt, unless any of you know? I know a few readers who might... According to the inside front cover, this is “the first illustrated handbook”. Now that book is still available, but as a reprint, so it has a plain green cover with the written details rather than the original ornate one with the Art Nouveau centre image, but all the inside copy is exactly as it was printed in 1948. This can be found in our bookshop, and yes you can buy online right now by all manner of monetary devices; it is also available to non-members, both at home and overseas, at a slightly higher price. Our bookshop is one of the things that we are working on right now; thank you for your patience to all who asked about it.

Inside the book, it lists this set as No.79, and dates it to November 1929, these dates coming from either Churchman themselves or from the printer Mardon, Son & Hall. It is a set of 25 cards, titled, and numbered 1-25. The fronts were printed by letterpress, using the four colour halftone process; the backs in dark green, with descriptions.

Monday, 29th November 2021

This card shows the difference between arc lights and filament lights. If you want to read more on the difference between the two, head to the Edison Tech Center website. And as to why they are here, well filament lights were used as what are generally considered to be the first ever “Christmas lights” by Thomas Edison, almost three hundred bulbs strung along the way that led to his Menlo Park laboratory in New Jersey, and around the building itself.

This was just before Christmas 1880, and some, with a hint of the Grinch, may say it was purely to advertise them at a celebration dinner, whilst others, who believe in Christmas, and all its wonders, say it was near enough in date to make his the first Festive Frontage in the whole street. It is doubtful that they were coloured, they were probably just a white bulb, so you could even probably say he was the first ever Christmas minimalist. This event was fully reported by the New York Times at that time.

Not so strangely, Edison was also responsible for the first mass produced Christmas lights to be sold to the general public in 1902, through his General Electric Company. They were not cheap, so were only shown off by richer homes. And it took several years before the lights were able to be mass produced in a quantity that would allow for anyone to be able to light up for the festive season.

Tuesday, 30th November 2021

Now lets start with the poser, for this is backlisted with 50 names. However, in Burdick, the card of Beecher is recorded as facing both ways, making 51 possibilities. He values them at .25 cents a card. All of the names of all of the Great Americans are shown on each card, some are familiar names, others stumped me.

It must be exceedingly rare, but according to our World Tobacco Issues Index, part 1, there is a different version of this issue; D900-190B - this is larger, and shows three subjects on a single card, 16 cards in all. That makes 48, I think, so which are missing – again, do let us know, and if you have one, do scan it for us so it may be added here. Now if I look in my Burdick catalogue, the larger version is under USA/112, and that says there are 17 cards, “3 of 76 to card”. (76 being the Burdick number for the small cards)

Mr. Burdick valued these at .40 cents each, the same value as “Bridges”, “Burlesque Scenes”, “Habitations of Man”, “Histories of Generals”, “Illustrated Songs”, “Lighthouses”, “Talk of the Diamond” and “Types of Vessels” (die-cut). If anyone would like to provide a current value for these we can have a comparison to see which has stood best the test of time.

Wednesday, 1st December 2021

Now Cryselco stands for the CRYStal ELectric COmpany, and they made electric lamps and light bulbs, for the home, for automobiles, and also as Christmas lights, for the home, sold pre-stringed in attractive boxes.

They also issued three sets of cards, “Buildings of Beauty” (CRY-030 : CSH-2 :1938), and “Beautiful Waterways” (CRY-020 : CSH-1 : 1939), both of which were sets of twenty-five brown gravures measuring 101 x 76 mm; I am not sure why the later set is listed first, as it is not in date nor alphabetical order.

Then there was a bit of a gap before they produced “Interesting Events of Sixty Years Ago”  (CRY-040 : CSH-6 : 1955) , which was a set of twelve grey-black cards with light yellowy browny borders, extra large in size, measuring 113 x 88 mm, and first listed in part II of our original British Trade Issues Index, of 1969.

Thursday, 2nd December 2021

this card shows Oxford Street, which today is associated with the annual London Christmas lights, in fact Oxford Street is always the first of the streets to have its lights lit. This year they are using LED lights, much more efficient, which were made from recycled material and will be used or recycled again after the event.

I have not been able to find out the first date that Oxford Street was illuminated, maybe you know, but it seems that the larger shops were the first to use Christmas lights to attract customers, at the end of the nineteenth century, however this was sporadic and it was not until the 1950s that Regent Street began having the large displays along the roadside and in all the shops, especially once rationing finally ended. I remember going up to see the lights as a child in the late 1960s. Telling my age now, sorry if I disappoint anyone. Apparently the 1950s and 1960s was the heyday, and they shrunk back in the 1970s and 1980s. However the arrival of the Millennium seems to have lit the spark, and they have grown successively bigger over the years.

This card, of Holborn, London, was given away by the Cameric Cigarette Card Club in February 1945, by the Guest Editors Edward Charles Prior and Wilfred Wright. There were two others, namely "9. Mansion House and Cheapside, London" and "10. Marble Arch, London"

Despite it being issued in 1945, it has to wait until part three of our original British Trade Index to make an appearance. This seems to point to either it not being felt truly a trade card, or to them only having been discovered at about that time. Some think the former, because the Cameric Club was still in existence when the first, pre 1945 card, volume was issued, and still publishing magazines. However I have a theory on this, because they did not always issue magazines, at first they issued duplicated papers, few of which have survived, and it was at this time that these cards were issued. This could have led to it slipping through our net. 

Anyway the catalogue for it is : 

CAMERIC CIGARETTE CARD CLUB, London

Cards dated 1945.
VIEWS OF LONDON (A) 76 x 63. Backs "With the compliments of the Guest Editors ...`Notes and News`, February, 1945", printed on Nos 4, 9  and 10 of Anonymous set ZJ5-81. ...CAOH-1

It is described in our updated British Trade Index as : 

Cameric Cigarette Card Club, London

Dated 1945.
VIEWS OF LONDON (A) 76 x 63. Brown gravures. Nd. (3). Backs "With the compliments of the Guest Editors ...`Notes and News`, February, 1945." Only three issued, Nos 4, 9  and 10 of Anonymous set ZJV-070. See HX-175  ...CAM-020

The "HX" code is in the British Trade Index Handbook, and it reads

HX-175. VIEWS OF LONDON (A) Nd. (10). Issued by:
Anonymous, plain back See ZJV-070
Cameric Cigarette Card Club. See CAM-020

Now that "Z" code refers to the World Tobacco Issues Index, but it is wrong, both times, it ought to read ZJ3-71 in the original and ZJ03-855. The text there is : 

VIEWS OF LONDON (A) Lg. 76 x 66. Unnd. (20). See X21/313-2C. Issued in China by B.A.T.

As for the X21 reference, that reads : 

X21/313.2  VIEWS OF LONDON. In addition to the 45 "Views of The World" recorded under RB.21/313, there is a further series of 20 "Views of London" with fromts in the same style, but varnished. There are three printings.
A. B.C.C. Issue. Back in red, with illustration of closed "London Straight-Cut" box
B. B.C.C. Issue. Back in blue, pearl bordered design, inscribed "These Pictures are packed in the Brands of Cigarettes of British Cigarette Co. Ltd."
C. Anonymous issue, with plain backs

Now I have another theory about the cards, for I believe that either Mr. Wright or Mr. Prior, both dealers, acquired a bulk lot of "C", noted the plain backs, and had them put to use... but more about this as I encounter proof.  

Friday, 3rd December 2021

According to my CSGB Australian & New Zealand Index, the much sought after RB30 dating from 1983, this was a “Kensitas” brand issue within New Zealand. The set, of photographic cards, was issued some time between 1925 and 1930., but most agree it was 1927/28, because the Duke and Duchess shown were the future George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who visited New Zealand in 1927. Actually you can see footage of the tour here 

I am not sure why this set was only issued in New Zealand, because it deserved a bigger audience. And I am sure that there are Royalty collectors reading who have never seen it.

Curiously, the cards actually say “1st Series” of 24 photographs, but there never seems to have been a second. The cards were actually just part of the Wix celebration, as on the reverse it says that if you collected a complete set, you could send it up and would receive in return any one of the cards as an enlargement. You had to say which card you wanted the enlargement of, and then it would be sent to you – with your original set of cards! The address, which is a bit hard to work out, was “Kensitas, Box 1341, Wgton”, and Wgton is Wellington, New Zealand.

Now even more of a curiosity, because in this section, the Wix Australasian issues, there are just two, this set, and W805-620, an untitled set of black and white photos, known as “Animals”, which states that just one card is known. It does not even reveal what that card is. So off you go and track it down, plus any others, in the only decent way to hunt, with your eyes and a camera. And let us know of what you discover.....