Michele One of the more unusual card magazines was this one, and it remains quite hard to come by today. So, for the benefit of anyone who has never come across it, lets have a chat about "The Cigarette Card Review" ....
It cost 6d. a copy, or you could subscribe, 7/6 for twelve issues, post free.
Each magazine contained articles, reviews of other Cartophilic magazines, catalogues, and auctions, and dates of forthcoming meetings, plus correspondence if such had been received. And it was at least partially funded by allowing dealer advertisements on the front and back of the cover, as well as running a “Sales & Wants” column, offering “Small pre-paid adverts. 1 1/2d per word, minimum 1/6”.
There were also pictures, on a glossy page which showed the fronts and sometimes the backs of several cards. At other times the backs were printed within the text on standard paper, or did not appear. We have listed all the illustrations as we go along.
VOLUME ONE: June 1946 - November/December 1946?
Volume One magazines. at least all the ones I have, measure 12.5 m/m wide x 18.5 m/m tall.The pages run continuously, starting from page one in issue one and carrying on where they left off in the next magazine.
So here is the front cover of No.1 Vol.1 - from June 1946, and the first thing you notice is that huge front page advert for E.H.W. Ltd of Victoria Street, London. This leads some dealers to the belief that it was produced by them, and even in our library it appears as catalogue number C406 (Volume one - 1947 which must be the binding date) and C407 (Volume two - 1947), listed as being by E.H.W. However if you look at that bottom banner, which proudly advertises itself as "An Independent Illustrated Journal for All Card Collectors", in other words not tied to a dealer.
However the actual people concerned with the production are not identified, unless you do some sleuthing. And that results in the knowledge that The Editor, at Natal Road, London N11., was G. Potter; and The Publishing Dept, and Advertising Manager, at Dovercourt Road, Bristol, was either E.C. Prior himself, or someone at The Universal Cigarette Card Co., because that is the address from which they operated at that time. The Business Manager (Seaforth Gardens, Ewell, Surrey) was not then revealed though the was an advertisement for “Collector” giving the same address. I am also not sure what their connection was to the printer, Hill Press (T.U.) 2-3 Rosebery Parade, Ewell. It could just be that they canvasses local printers for a quote or they may have been employed there or even owned it. But that is conjecture at this point in time.
This edition contained articles by C.B. Fairbrother (Time and Tide and Clocks), C.T. Gregory (Collecting Foreign Cards), Geo. F. Potter (The Gainsborough Mystery), “Sentinel” (Rich Man`s Rarities), W.M. Wright (Do You Know Your Cards?), plus a short story by A.J. Cruse, “The Cigarette Card Murder”, which I do not believe was ever published elsewhere.
The illustrations were on glossy paper in a centre spread - they were :
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a Cohen Weenen “Gainsborough” carton - spread out
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Cohen Weenen “Home & Colonial Regiments”
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Gloag “Colonial Troops”
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Taddy “Famous Actors & Actresses
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Taddy “Actresses with Flowers”
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Taddy “British Medals & Decorations”
No.2 Volume 1 - July 1946. The editorial starts by saying :"Number one is now history. It was received with open arms by the army of collectors that as we know were hungry for such a publication as this, and, still flushed with our enthusiasm, we place No,2 before you." It closes by saying "As copies of The Cigarette Card Review will be in short supply because of the paper restrictions, remember that by placing your order you can be assured of receiving a copy on publication. If you gave cartophilic friends, pass your copy on (but get it back). We are printing to our capacity, but still there are not enough to go round." This is almost certainly the reason for its scarcity.
No.3 Volume 1 - August 1946
This supplies the missing cast member, as “collector” has exactly the same advert but under a new name, P.J Wheatley. This may also appear in my missing number two of course.
Articles were supplied by C.L. Bagnall (In Reply – an answer to “Over-Catalogued” in the June number), A.J. Cruse (Tobacco through the Ages) C.B. Fairbrother (Public Schools), E. Griffiths (on the differences between the Irish and Home issues of English Period Costume), S.J. Metcalfe (on making home made albums), W.J. Peters (Errors & Varieties), Geo. F. Potter (Fifty Years of Motoring), and a short story,”C.O.D.” by “Dix” which reads a lot like Fred Bason, though he was stated to be making his first appearance in No.8 Vol.1
The Illustrations were not in a true centre spead and some of the backs appear within the text on non glossy paper. They are :
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Clarke “Cricketer Series” (back in text)
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Clarke “Golf Terms” (back in text)
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Pezaro “Cake Walk” Series – eight cards - no backs
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Godfrey Phillips “Optical Illusions” - no backs
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Pritchard & Burton “Holiday Resorts & Places of Interest” (back in text)
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Roberts & Sons “Types of Soldiers of the World” (back in text)
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Smith “Cricketers” - no back
No.4 Volume 1 - September 1946
No.5 Volume 1 - October 1946
Articles came from A. & L. Clitheroe (For The Newcomer), A.J. Cruse (on curious tobacco related inventions – and a biography of Napoleon, suggested by Allen & Ginter`s “Napoleon” Album), “Karto” (about a press cuttings book owned by the Cameric Cigarette Card Club, which started with one about Macedonia on the 14th September 1935. Where is this book now, I idly wonder…?), A.B. Keeves (a visit to a Cameric meeting), D.D. Salem (making cellophane corner mounts), J. Sanders (on Pinnace backs), John K. Scott (“Whence Cartophily?” looking forward to the future), and a review of the American Card Catalogue by Mr. J.R. Burdick.
The illustrations again appear both on the glossy pages and in the text, and some cards have plain backs so only the front is present. These are :
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Adkin “Pretty Girl Series”
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Colin Campbell Cigars “Actresses” – plain back, not shown
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Hill “Statuary” – no back
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Fry “Time and Money” – no back
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Lloyd`s “Peoples and Their Flags” (back in text)
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Phillips “Beautiful Women”
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Smith “Advertisement Series” – no back
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Smith “Nations of the World” – no back
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Unknown card, giving instructions on how to remove cigarette from moisture proof wrap – one side shown in text, but it was possibly plain backed?
No.6 Volume 1 - unseen [no idea, but perhaps it was November-December?] And it must have had part two of A. & L. Clitheroe`s “For the Newcomer”
No.7 Volume 1 - January 1947.
This was printed by a new company, Richard Madley Ltd, 54 Grafton Way, W1, and it also states that the magazine was printed for "Cartophilic Publications Ltd, 10 Teesdale Avenue Isleworth".
That was actually the address of The Universal Cigarette Card Company Ltd, run by E. C. Prior. So did they run the magazine from the start ? It seems a possibility
Articles this time were by A. & L. Clitheroe (For The Newcomer, part 3), A.J. Cruse (on Duke`s Album of “Governors Coats of Arms”), Rex & C.B. Fairbrother (Railway Engines of the Past), W.C. Goode (Phases of Collecting – How to Buy), J.L. Green (On Type Collecting), “Karto” (Life on Board a Man-O-War 1891), J. Sanders (on Speedway), W.M. Wright (reviewing A.J. Cruse`s “Match-Box Labels of the World), a list of John Player`s “Actors and Actresses”, and a review of the first C.H.A. Ltd Auction, conducted by W.M. Wright, giving of few prices, sadly, only “a nice album of types £7” and “Rare L & B Log Cabin Actresses at £12”
The illustrations were :
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Cope “Music Hall Artistes” – no back
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Gallaher “Royalty Series” – no back
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Mackenzie “Famous Actors & Actresses” – no back
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Mitchell “Actresses, unnumbered”
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Muratti “Boer War Series” – no back
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Ogden Tabs “Aviation”
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Pritchard & Burton “Royalty Series” – no back
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Smith “Naval Dress & Badges” – no back
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Taddy “English Royalty”
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Taddy “Territorial Regiments” – no back
No.8 Volume 1 - February 1947
Articles by A.J. Cruse (Who`s Who?), “Karto” (on sets he does not like), “Sentinel” (on Cartophilic Rarities), A. Thomas (Large Cards Preferred), C. Webster (Schoolboy Recollections of 1922), and W.J. Wicks (on Ogdens Guinea Golds), plus an autobiography of Fred Bason, an anonymous piece about Bradford`s “War Cartoons” with a picture of a front, a quarter page about “The Collector and Hobbyist”, a new magazine out of The Collectors Exchange in London, a couple of quizzes, a review of the Schoolboy’s Exhibition at Westminster`s Central Hall, and a Universal Cigarette Card Company auction, and a listing what they thought to be the first series of post Second World War cards, namely Benson’s “Old Bristol Series”, though it had been issued before in 1940, as a different size, and lacking the details of damage caused by enemy action.
Illustrations are
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Bradford “War Cartoons” – in the text
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Cope “Boxers” – no back
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Ogden “Actresses” – plain back
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Ogden Guinea Gold of Charles Kingsley, C Series – plain back
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Ogden “Beauty Series” – plain back
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Taddy “Boxers”
Volume Two :
Volume two magazines, or at least my No.5 of Volume two, measure14 m/m wide x 21.5 m/m tall. And the pages in volume two seem to run continuously because my No.5 ends at page 100
and many thanks to the kind reader who supplied the missing months
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No. 1 Volume 2 - March-April 1947
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No.2 Volume 2 - May 1947
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No.3 Volume 2 - June 1947
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No. 4 Volume 2 - July 1947
No.5 Volume 2 - August 1947 - this was the final edition. It is larger than the other issues, but the others were not trimmed because the colour on this edition is larger then the other ones.
In this edition the cost of each magazine, and subscription, has gone up, to 9d. a copy and either 5/- for six issues or 10/- for twelve issues, both post free. In fact there is a box advertisement saying “Subscriptions are due. Have you sent yours for the next “Review””.
However if you did you were unlucky for this was the last issue that was ever printed.
There is no clue as to why it did not continue, though it does say “Owing to the low number of entries we are reluctantly compelled to drop the competitive angle, and in future print our “Cartophilic Crossword” for amusement only”. But they continue with “Any reader who has a flair for compiling these can send along an example of his ingenuity and, if suitable, we will be pleased to use it and pay for the privilege”. So that does not seem like they planned to close up the printing presses. There was also a letter from D. Graham Evans in Karachi, India, who sounds like he was a regular reader if not a subscriber. Maybe we will find out the reason for closure by a pathway yet unknown.
Articles were included from Fred Bason (on Chinese cards), F.A. Brown (By-Ways of Cartophily – and Exploring Polar Cards), A.J. Cruse (Odds and Ends, in which he reveals himself to have been “Sentinel”), Horace E. Dear (on Phillumenism – the collection of matchbox labels), W.G. Goode (Phases of Collecting part 6), “Karto” (Turf Film Stars), W.J. Wicks (Fire Fighting Appliances), a quiz, a Cartophilic Crossword by M.J. Pitts, the usual reviews of magazines and auctions, and pieces on Camilleri “Popes of Rome”, Cope “Soldiers and Sailors of the World”, Hill “Generals of the Boer War”, plus, most curiously, on Cope “Dogs of the World”, which reads like the set has only just been discovered.
I will scan some of these sections some time and add them in here, and where most useful. That is the true purpose of our What`s New Banner, to point you to all the changes that are taking place, on a daily basis, behind the scenes
There are no glossy pages of illustrations this time, but there are pictures within the text, namely
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Cope “Dogs of the World” – no back
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Cope “Soldiers and Sailors of the World”
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Hill “Generals of the War”
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Muratti “Views of Jersey” – no back
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Wills “Actresses “ playing card inset – no back
the start of another investigation!