Another weekend beckons. At the moment it is cold and raining, and its getting decidedly autumnal. A change is in the air, as they say - and that kind of brings me to the subject for this week`s ramble.
There are several kinds of changes, but all of them seem to follow one of two forks in the road - either you decide to make the change because you think things will be better if you take that path, or it is forced upon you by losing something or someone. And at either of these times, it is fair to say, a little guidance goes a long way. Some people turn to the mystical arts of the tarot, whilst others look at mottoes and sayings that have stood the test of time.
One of the most popular of these with people who are rather unsure of making the move is "Look Before You Leap". The illustrations for this usually revolve around the unfortunate leaping and meeting disaster, which reinforces the belief that it is better not to leap at all.
On the other hand we have "Faint Heart Never Won Fair Maiden". I am never sure about this one, thinking that the maiden rules out a lot of the population, and that it would be much better to have had the saying as winning a Fine Prize. Anyway the pictures for this either follow the medieval tradition of a gentleman rescuing a damsel in distress, and I suppose there is truth in the saying, whether we go for the maiden or for the prize, because if you do not step up the maiden falls out of the tree into someone else`s arms or someone else goes home with the trophy, buys the car you so desired, or gets to move into the home of your dreams whilst you are still debating whether to grow clematis or roses over the archway over the gate.
Much of the indecision for most people seems to revolve around their worthiness, or a lack thereof, and I know this is true in my case. So when I was shown this card I was rather delighted (and bolstered up), because its proverb comes from Arabic, and translates to "Deeds are dependant upon the motives which inspire them". Now the first thing about this is that in English that word "dependant" is incorrect, as the version with the "a" in it is a noun and means to be someone who depends on another; we would instead say "dependent" using all e letters, because that is the adjective meaning that you are depending on the person or thing coming along.
This "card" is not though, for it is a silk. And the way it is designed actually makes it look like two other branches of cartophily, the rug or the blanket. Anyway its the first one of this set I have ever seen, and so I am indebted to Mr. Reid whose scan this is.
However there is something rather sad about this silk, and that is the fact that if, as was intended, it had been removed from its paper backing, and sewn to a cushion cover, etc, we would never have known what the saying translated to, unless we were Arabic or had Arabic friends. So we must give thanks to the person who got this silk and decided to preserve it, intact, for prosperity, so that it could be here inspiring me - and maybe some of you, today....
It first appears in our original B.A.T. reference book, under section XVI, which is for "Other English Language Issues". In the front index it is dated as 1913, and in the main text it is listed as :
- 450 ARABIC PROVERBS. Large coloured paper-backed silks, size 83 x 55 m/m.Silks in the format of small mats each with different border design. proverb in Arabic in centre on white background. Back in blue, number and series title at top. English translation of proverb in centre, instructions for removing silk at base. Numbered series of 25, Anonymous issue, with letterpress on back.
Its next appearance is in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, right at the back of the book with the anonymous series, recorded as :
- ARABIC PROVERBS. Lg 83 x 55. Nd. on backing. (25). See RB.21/450 ... ZP1-1
This is not the only cartophilic item to be issued on the subject of proverbs.
I am rather partial to the Ardath set by that very name, issued in 1936, because amongst it are military subjects, cars, and even an aeroplane. However I wonder if you knew that two of the cards in the series show football? These are
- card 18, which shows a fireman up a ladder fighting a fire whilst at the same time using his elevated vantage point to look over the high wall of the local football ground and watch a match billed as "Bilton Wanderers v Chumly" - and
- card 50, which shows a parachutist using the wind to direct him over the barriers and into the crowd who have paid to watch the match.
So if these are not in your football collection, do look out for them.
As far as the earliest set to show proverbs, that was a trade set, issued in 1888, namely Liebig Meat Extract`s "Proverbs I".
Many collectors believe that James Taddy issued the first cigarette card set of proverbs, in 1907; though others will tell you that they count Wills` "Double Meanings", issued in 1898. I am not sure about the Wills set myself because they are only one or two word phrases, not a full proverb.
One of the most prolific proverb card issuers was W.. & A.C. Churchman, whose set of "Eastern Proverbs" ran to two small sized sets, each of twenty-five cards and four large sized sets, each of twelve cards. But twenty-five small sized cards were also issued in New Zealand, by Ardath. So if you know any more about that New Zealand set do let us know.
Another interesting set was issued by Bocnal Tobacco Co of Bonhill Street, London, England. They seem to be best known for a curious set which glows in the dark, but they also issued a set of twenty-five cards called "Proverbs Up To Date" in 1938. However that was their only two sets. Perhaps there would have been more if the Second World War had not intervened, but in 1946 they were bought out, by none other than the Amalgamated Tobacco Company.
This Week`s Events and Meetings :
Thursday the 3rd of September
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North East - from 6.30 p.m. at Dunston U.T.S., Wellington Road, Dunston, Gateshead, NE11 9JL
Saturday the 5th of September
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Lincolnshire - from 10.30 a.m. at Kirton Leisure, 31a Willington Road, Kirton, Boston PE21 1EP.
Sunday the 6th of September - two meetings
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Cotswolds - all day fair - from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Uckington Village Hall, The Green, Tewkesbury Road, Uckington, Cheltenham GL51 9SR. We are regularly visited by Paul Lynch, Mike Heard and John Shaw, and there is also lots of swopping and trading between ourselves. And its free admission to all collectors
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Winchester & Solent - from 1.00 p.m. until 4.00 p.m. at Botley Market Hall, High Street, Botley, near Southampton SO30 2EA. Lots of swapping and selling goes on here and some very unusual cards often turn up. This one is also free admission to all collectors
In the mean time...
This week we only managed to get through four newsletters, because there were a few cards which I found were already listed in the index. It felt like there were hundreds, but actually there were only nine. And I thank everyone who provided the replacement scans.
Strangely the first two newsletters that I tackled, for the 10th of September 2022 and the 17th of September 2022 had no changes at all, they remain the same.
Then the "fun" began, with the newsletter of the 3rd of September 2022, not only affecting that but earlier and later editions as well. So though Saturday`s Cavanders "Ancient Chinese" stayed put, its doppleganger was replaced as the Card of the Day for the 8th of February 2024 by Amidon Remy`s "Moeurs et Coutimes Chinois". Sunday`s card was altered, to Topps` "World`s Dudes" instead of Carreras` "Believe it or Not" (though the former card stayed on the site). Tuesday`s card is also the same, but it affected the card for Tuesday 26 September in the newsletter of the 23rd of Seotember 2023 which now has a "Red Letter" Chaplin postcard illustrating Edna Purviance instead of another former Sandorides "Cinema Celebrities" . Wednesday`s card is also new, it is now Liebig`s "La Librairie" instead of another card from Churchman "In Town Tonight", though I also kept that card in the listing, because it added another facet to the theme. Then on Thursday the second Wills` "Animalloys" was ousted in favour of Peter, Cailler, Kohler, Nestle`s "Reptiles et Batraciens" - Serie LXII. I don`t know if there is anyone who has been working on dating these sets, but if so please do get in touch with us.
As far as the final newsletter, for the 27th of August 2022, that has also seen some changes - Sunday`s unknown set of "Do You Know" having been replaced by Topps "Alien Attax", where thankfully Matt Smith also sports a bow tie as Doctor Who version eleven. Then Monday there was an extraordinarily fuzzy Dinkie Grips card of Ingrid Bergman, which I tried my very hardest to improve and then admitted defeat and ended up with a card from Kwatta Serie C. Wednesday`s card remained, as Major Drapkin`s "Life in Whipsnade Zoo", but the second version was ousted and replaced by Suchard`s "Ours Humanises" -Serie 145 (????). You can see that as the Card of the Day for the 9th of October 2022. Last but not least both the Lever Brothers "Personalities" sets we featured were the second version, and so now you can see the original "Soap Makers to Queen Victoria" version as the diary card for Friday the 2nd 2 September in this newsletter and the other one, with the "YZ" brand, remains as the card for Thursday the 27th of November in the newsletter of the 22nd of November 2025
That made it quite a hectic week, but I needed it to take my mind off everything else, so I am pretty grateful. Though at the time of typing this I have not added the Suchard bears yet, I just have the two scans.
As for newsletters past which were published around this week, they are as follows :
And if you have any updates, comments, or suggestions for any of these, do please let us know, by emailing webmaster@card-world.co.uk.