Lot 105: A Collection of Vintage Cigarette and Trade Cards in Decorative Containers
A large collection of early to mid-20th-century British cigarette and trade cards. The items are housed in four storage containers: a red lithographed tin featuring a robin in a snowy oval frame with gold foliate decoration; a lacquered wooden box with a hand-painted Asian-style figure on a gold-flecked background; a rectangular metal Ogden’s St. Bruno Flake tobacco tin with worn lithographed branding; and a small oak-finish lidded box with dark wood peg detailing at the corners. The collection contains hundreds of cards from major British manufacturers, including John Player and Sons, Senior Service, and W.D. and H.O. Wills. Visible subjects include natural history, aviation, military heraldry, and poultry. Specific identified cards include Player’s Cigarettes Freshwater Fish (Perch), Player’s Cigarettes Poultry (Modern Langshans, Black), Player’s Cigarettes RAF Squadrons (No. 9 Bomber Squadron with motto Per Noctem Volamus), and Senior Service Cigarettes Flying series (No. 21 Seabirds’ Nest). Visible transcriptions include PLAYER’S CIGARETTES, SENIOR SERVICE CIGARETTES, OGDEN’S, ST. BRUNO FLAKE, and FLYING – A SERIES OF 48 – No. 21 SEABIRDS’ NEST.
Condition report:
The collection is in mixed condition. The cards show various signs of age, including visible foxing and spotting to the reverses, bumped corners, edge wear, and light surface soiling. The metal tins exhibit surface oxidation, scratches, and significant wear to the lithographed finishes. The lacquered box shows losses to the painted decoration and wear to the edges. The oak-finish box has minor surface scuffs consistent with age and use.
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