Michele Or to be precise, W. & F. Faulkner, who was the subject of our first ever reference book - RB.1, published in 1942 - and an even earlier listing, cited as part one of "The Foundation of a Standard Catalogue", which appeared within "Cigarette Card News", copy dated December 1933.
Now the story starts, as all good treasure hunts ought to, with a mystery, because the date of their beginning is quoted as 1831 in our World Tobacco Issues Index, but the reference book begins by saying : "The firm of Faulkner commenced in the year Victoria was crowned (1838) and tribute was paid to her Majesty in their set "British Royal Family", which includes eleven pictures of the Queen."
This second date must have come from "The Foundation of a Standard Catalogue", which says "This well known firm was established in 1838".
The address given on the back of the "British Royal Family" cards is just Blackfriars Road, but it was actually numbers 223 - 225 Blackfriars Road, London, S.E - and they were still listed as being there in a London directory of 1886, where they appear as "Tobacco Cutters, Roll Spinners, Segar Makers, Snuff Grinders. Specialities are Nosegay Virginia and Blackfriars Segars". They also had premises at 31 Edward Street, London.
"The Foundation" tells us that "The first recorded series of cards consisted of twelve stock designs, printed and supplied by Albert Hildesheimer. This series, known as "Puzzle Pictures," was issued in 1898." However we also know, thanks to RB.1, that "In 1896 they became a limited company", and with this knowledge we are able to state that their "Puzzle Series", originally dated to 1898, must have been produced before that, because there is no "Ltd." on the card. It was printed by A. Hildesheimer & Co., and the cards measure 2 7/16" x 1 9/16". This set is quoted to be of twelve cards, but there has always been a suspicion that it was of twenty-five. There were also two printings, as cards were issued with both the "Grenadier" and "Nosegay" brands, and slight differences can be found between them.
The next sets all follow the same pattern, looks wise, and measure approximately 2 3/8" x 1 1/2", or 59-62 x 37-39 m/m. Most are based on popular sayings and expressions, a lot of which are now long forgotten, but they have been given a comical twist. The fronts are coloured drawings on a white background, sometimes with a toned shadow, and there are no marginal lines. For some reason the backs are always plain. There is nothing recorded as to why this was, and other issuers were already producing double sized cards, but it could just have been simple economics, because every additional colour added cost, and to print on both sides would also have been another process to factor into the cost. Perhaps this was also a factor in the sets being printed by different printers?
The first to be issued is known to us as "Grenadier Guards", though it was described in "The Foundation" as "1899 12 Historical Costumes of the Grenadier Guards. Design registered 10th July, 1899. Same printer." [Albert Hildesheimer & Co.]
1899 12 Sporting Terms. Design registered 19th July, 1899. Same printer. The terms used are " The Favourite"; "Two to One"; "A Flat Race"; "A Sweepstake"; "A Double Event"; "A Non Starter"; "Won in a Canter"; "Backing the Field"; "A Snip"; "Top Weight"; "A Good Tip"; "An Outsider".
1899
12 Nautical Terms - 1st Series.
Design registered 8th July, 1899. Same printer.
Terms printed below picture, and are : " Two Bells" ; " Prepare to Board " ; " Splicing the Brace"; " Stow Down"; " Full Speed Ahead"; " Running before the Breeze" ; " Hard a Port " ; " Stand By"; "All Hands to the Pumps"; " Prepare for Action"; "Cast Off"; "Dog Watch".
1899 12 Military Terms. (untitled) 1st Series. "Grenadier Cigarettes". Design registered July 10th, 1899. Same printer. A. Hildesheimer & Co. Grey background. Terms used : " Fall Out " ; " Eyes Right " ; " Mark Time" ; "Salute"; "Present Arms"; "Attention"; "Double"; " Halt "; " Charge" ; " Shoulder Arms" ; " Quick March" ; " Stand at Ease".
We know that in January 1899 framed copies of this set were given away to tobacconists, presumably to entice them to stock the product. Even if what was framed was simply proofs, it means that the cards were all drawn and capable of being printed.
1899 12 Military Terms.2nd Series. (untitled) "Grenadier Cigarettes". Design registered on 20th July. Same printer - A. Hildesheimer & Co. . Grey background. Terms used : "Under Fire"; "Retire"; "To Arms"; "Left Wheel"; " Forlorn Hope" ; " Fortunes of War" ; " Right about Face" ; " Foraging " ; " C.B." ; " Recruiting " ; " Top Score" ; " Fall In".
1899 12 Military Terms. 2nd Series. As above, but with white instead of grey background.
1899 12 Police Terms. (untitled). "Grenadier Cigarettes". Design registered 11th July, 1899. Same printer - A. Hildesheimer & Co. Terms used : " Police Court"; "A Smart Capture".; "Pass Along, Please"; "Stop, Thief"; "Guardian of the Peace"; "On the Beat"; "The Thin Blue Line"; "Rabbit Again"; "Point Duty"; "Where Duty Calls"; " Investigating a Mystery "; " One of the Best".
1899 12 Policemen of the World. Stock designs, numbered 1-12. Same printer.
1899 12 Cricket Terms. (titled). "Grenadier Cigarettes". Design registered 6th September, 1899. Same printer - A. Hildesheimer & Co. Terms used : " How's That " ; "A Maiden Over" ; " Leg Before" ; " Leg Stump " ; " Over" ; " Slip'; " Stumped " ; '" Caught " ; " Run Out " ; " Leg Hit " ; " Wide" ; " Fielding".
1900 12 Football Terms. 1st series. Design registered 16th February, 1900, and printed by Albert Hildesheimer. The terms used are: "Half Time"; "Hands"; "Touch"; "Centred"; "Held"; "Over the Line"; "Off Side"; "Full Back"; "Kick Off" ; "Centre Forward"; "Half Back " ; " Penalty Kick ".
1900
12 Football Terms - 2nd series. (titled).
Grenadier Cigarettes".
Design registered 16th February, 1900, and printed by Albert Hildesheimer.
Terms used " Corner"; " Mark your man"; "A Good Try"; "A Good Pass"; "A Good Throw In"; "Collar Him Low"; " Rushing the Goal Keeper" • "A Miss Kick" ; " Scrimmage"; " Dropped Goal " ; " Over the Bar" ; "Missed"; "What Ho, She Bumps".
1900 12 The Language of Flowers. Printed by Albert Hildesheimer. Inscribed " Grenadier Cigarettes".
1900 12 The Language of Flowers. As above, but inscribed " Nosegay Cigarettes".
1900 90 Our Colonial Troops. Designs prepared and printed by Tillotson & Son, size of card and style of printing are similar to preceding series. No printing on back. Inscribed "Grenadier Cigarettes".
1900 90 Our Colonial Troops. As above, but inscribed "Union Jack Cigarettes".
1900 12 Kipling Series. Printed by Causton & Sons. The following quotations were used and illustrated: " Whilst their daddy hammered Paul"; " There are girls he married secret"; " He saved the Empire"; " Son of a Lambeth publican, it's all the same to-day"; " When you've shouted " Rule Britannia"; " There are girls he walked with casual"; "A gentleman in khaki ordered South " : " Pass the hat for your credit's sake": " Duke's son, cook's son, son of a hundred king's"; " Each of them doing his country's work"; " He chucked his job and joined it": "Wiping something off the slate".
1900 12 "Coster Series" (untitled). "High Class Cigarettes". Printed by J. Causton & Sons, Ltd. Expressions illustrated are : " Up the Pole" ; "Arf a Mo' "; " Lor-luMe"; " Garn, I wish yer meant it"; " What Ho, She 'Bumps"; " It's a bad job abart you"; " Oh, chise me, Girls" ; " Strite, no 'ank " ; " Ain't 'e a korf drop '; " Not 'arf " ; " Hoo-ah-h-h "; "A little bit of orl rite".
Another new printer. By the way, "High Class Cigarettes" was not a brand, it was a statement about the quality of the product. It also appears on the back of their first set "British Royal Family"
1900 12 Nautical Terms. 2nd Series. (untitled). "Grenadier Cigarettes". Printed by Tillotson & Sons, inscribed " Grenadier Cigarettes'. Terms used: " Lay To" ; " In Tow" ; " Changing Her Course" ; " With the Tide"; "Bringing Her To"; "Crossing the Bar"; " A Sudden Squall " ; " Setting the Jib " ; " Striking Colours" : " Light on the Larboard Astern" ; " Scuttled "; " Hard Astern".
1900 12 Nautical Terms. 2nd Series. As above but inscribed " Union Jack Cigarettes".
1900 12 "Sporting Terms" - "Grenadier Cigarettes" - printed by A. Hildesheimer & Co.
1901 12 "Golf Terms" (untitled) - Ltd., London S.E. - "Grenadier Cigarettes" - printed by J. Causton & Sons Ltd., London
1902 12 "Street Cries" (untitled) - "Grenadier Cigarettes", printed by J. Causton & Sons Ltd., London.
Now whilst this set was being circulated Faulkners were becoming part of the Imperial Tobacco Company. This explains why the cards that we have shown before are very different to those which follow. The first of those sets was :
1901 20 Cricketers Series. Printed by Barclay & Fry. Black and white photos. Ornamental design on back in chocolate brown. (Similar series issued by Charlesworth & Austins, Bakers, and Rutters.)
1901 25 Boer War Series. Printed by Mardon, Son & Hall.This is an untitled series which is either known as "South African War Series" or "Boer War Series". It measures 2 5/8" x 1 3/8"
Then, in 1903, the company voluntarily wound up. The document for this gives all the names involved with that business, namely William Bowland Faulkner, Frederick Faulkner, and Alfred Robert Faulkner, all trading out of 130-132 Blackfriars Road.
Now some while after that, the Faulkner name again appeared on cards. They started in 1923 with "Prominent Racehorses of the Modern Day". Then, in 1924, along came a second series, numbered 26-50 and having the subtitle "2nd series of 25". These cards were printed by Mardon, Son & Hall, who produced many of the Imperial Tobacco Co.`s cigarette cards.
Some of their other brands were :
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"Sweet Rosemary Flake" - tobacco - retailed for 7 1/2d. an ounce
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"Tom Long" - tobacco -
Now in our RB.1 it states that "at the time of compilation (1942) they were located at Canal Street, Chester." There was a very good reason for this, and that was that almost as soon as the Second World War began, in 1939, they transferred all their staff out of London and up to Chester and Liverpool. However some employees chose to stay, and these were given a fixed fee instead. Now I have discovered that there exists a memorial to the Faulkner staff who lost their lives in the two World Wars. I am not sure if it is on show to the general public, but it is held by Ogdens Imperial Tobacco Company in Anfield, Liverpool. Obviously this is the premises to which the wartime staff were relocated. However Liverpool was almost as badly damaged by bombing as London, and over four thousand civilians were killed - only London suffered more civilian deaths than Liverpool. The bombing raids started in late August 1940 and continued until January 1942.