Army Club was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
brand of
cigarettes
A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the oppo ...
, owned and manufactured by Cavanders Ltd of
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
History
The brand was founded by Cavanders Ltd in 1775. Cavanders was a cigarette company originally based in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, but eventually moved its operations in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
Army Club was a popular cigarette brand in the 1910s, especially during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
The brand was discontinued in 1961, as the company was taken over by the
Godfrey Philips Company, whose main factory is now in
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. It is believed that the company was eventually acquired by
Philip Morris International
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is a multinational tobacco company, with products sold in over 180 countries. Marlboro is PMI’s most recognized brand, but in the last quarter of 2023, Iqos generated the greatest revenue. Philip Mor ...
.
An Army Club cigarette packet was found in the pocket of the
Somerton Man.
In September 2014,
Wales Online
Media Wales Ltd. is a publishing company based in Cardiff, Wales. As of 2009 it was owned by Reach plc (formerly known as the Trinity Mirror Group). It was previously known as the Western Mail & Echo Ltd.
History
The ''Western Mail'' was fou ...
reported that a +100-year-old packet of Army Club cigarettes exists. The pack is kept by Brian Alexander, which has kept it safe since his father passed it onto him after his grandfather, known as Arthur Maddox, gave it to him. "The cigarettes were brought home from World War One by my grandfather Arthur Maddox, and he gave them to my father, Fred Alexandar. My grandfather bet my father he would smoke them before the month was out because he was a chain smoker. But my father did not smoke them, and so he passed them on to me and I still have them," Brian said.
Advertising
Various posters were made to promote the brand, especially during the time of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The posters were made in multiple languages, such as English and French. Advertising campaigns for this brand adopted the themes of nostalgia of wartime camaraderie and male culture. Army Club cigarettes were also promoted in newspapers, such as
The Illustrated London News
''The Illustrated London News'', founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was published weekly for most of its existence, switched to a less freq ...
, as well as on railway carriages. Signs promoting this brand were also made.
In the 1920s, these cigarettes were sold in elaborate tins made of pressed copper.
A set of landscape cards were also issued with every pack of Army Club cigarettes, along with a special camerascope to view the pictures with.
See also
*
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and ingesting the resulting smoke. The smoke may be inhaled, as is done with cigarettes, or released from the mouth, as is generally done with pipes and cigars. The practice is believed to hav ...
References
{{reflist
Cigarette brands
1775 establishments in England