Michele
This booklet, "Cartophilic Reference Book - No.5 : The Cigarette Card Issues of Abdulla & Co. Ltd., Adkin & Sons, E & W. Anstie Ltd. - An Official Checklist Compiled by A Committee of the Cartophilic Society of Great Britain" (or RB.5), was edited by Eric Gurd, and signed off in May 1943.
It was then printed, by Parker Brothers, of St. Albans, in Hertfordshire, as a booklet of twenty pages, but with no illustrations - and published as a limited edition of four hundred copies, in 1943, to be retailed, to Society members, at two shillings and six pence.
Like all our individual reference booklets, it was superseded by The World Tobacco Issues Index (RB.21), which was issued in 1956.
We know, however, that in 1964, when the Cameric Club merged with the Cartophilic Society, this was not amongst the books listed as part of a half price offer, so that former Camericans, and new members, could buy one. And that means that this particular volume was already out of stock. Further investigation has proven that it was out of stock by 1950, fourteen years before that merger.
This was our first reference book to cover the cards of more than one issuer, and there was a good reason why, which is clear to see if you look at the original World Tobacco Issues Index, for if you ignore any overseas companies, you are left with Abdulla, Adcock (one set only), Adkin, Ainsworth (one set only), Alberge & Bromet (three sets, but all issued by others), Allman (founded in the 1950s), Amalgamated Tobacco (again founded in 1950s), Anstie, Hy Archer (who was tackled with Hill in RB.2), Ardath (who had enough issues to form RB.6 all on its own), and Associated (who only issued overseas).
Its first mention is in our magazine, "The Bulletin", of December 1941 (Vol.2 No. XXIX) came on the front page, under the heading of Research, where it states that the Research Committee "announce they are now investigating the issues of Abdulla, Adkin, Anstie, Archer and Ardath Tobacco Co. Information relating to any sets not catalogued in recognised catalogues or other data will be appreciated. The findings of the Committee will be published, probably in pamphlet form, after work has been completed."
The work on Abdulla, Adkin and Anstie made up this booklet, RB.5, which was published in 1943 - and that on Ardath became RB.6, the same year. As for Archer, it was considered that they were really part of Hill, whose reference book had already been printed as RB.2, and that at some time when the booklet was updated it would be added in.
Ours was quite a popular booklet, and by the time that our W.D. & H.O. Wills (part IV) Reference Book, RB.16, was published, in 1950, it had joined the ranks of those that were no longer available, though it stated "covered copies out of print. A few un-covered copies are still available"
Many years passed until a new reprint was produced; the decision was made to redo the cover into a plainer green format, but all the interior text remains the same.
[LIBRARY CODE A.05]