Cigarette cards are

trading cards A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other ...

issued by tobacco manufacturers to stiffen cigarette packaging and advertise cigarette brands. Between 1875 and the 1940s, cigarette companies often included collectible cards with their packages of cigarettes. Cigarette card sets document popular culture from the turn of the century, often depicting the period's actresses, costumes, and sports, as well as offering insights into mainstream humour and cultural norms.

History

'Daisy' Greville, Countess of Warwick, Player's Cigarettes card, post 1890

Beginning in 1875, cards depicting actresses,

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

players, Native American chiefs, boxers, national flags, or wild animals were issued by the U.S.-based Allen & Ginter tobacco company. These are considered to be some of the first cigarette cards. Other tobacco companies such as Goodwin & Co. soon followed suit. They first emerged in the U.S., then the UK, then, eventually, in many other countries. In the UK, W.D. & H.O. Wills in 1887 were one of the first companies to include advertising cards with their cigarettes, but it was John Player & Sons in 1893 that produced one of the first general interest sets 'Castles and Abbeys'. Thomas Ogden soon followed in 1894 and in 1895, Wills produced their first set 'Ships and Sailors', followed by 'Cricketers' in 1896. In 1906, Ogden's produced a set of

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is t ...

cards depicting footballers in their club colours, in one of the first full-colour sets. Each set of cards typically consisted of 25 or 50 related subjects, but series of over 100 cards per issue are known. Popular themes were 'beauties' (famous actresses, film stars and models), sporters (in the U.S. mainly

, in the rest of the world mainly football and

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

), nature, military heroes and uniforms, heraldry, locomotives, and city views. Imperial Tobacco Canada manufactured the first ice hockey cards ever for the inaugural

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

season. There were a total of 36 cards in the set, each one featured an illustration of a player. After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, only one more cigarette set was issued, during 1924–25. Today, for example, sports and military historians study these cards for details on uniform design. Some very early cigarette cards were printed on

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

which was then attached to a paper backing. They were discontinued in order to save paper during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, and never fully reintroduced thereafter. Doral, an R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company brand, started printing cigarette cards in the year 2000. These were the first cigarette cards from a major manufacturer since the 1940s., although the small company Carreras in the UK issued cigarette cards with Turf brand cigarettes for a short period in the 1950s and 1960s, Black Cat brand in 1976. Furthermore, card-like coupons with special offers have often been included in cigarette packets over the years. The first set of "Doral Celebrate America" cards featured the 50 states in two releases, 2000 and 2001. Later themes include American

festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holida ...

, cars, national parks, and 20th century events. Natural American Spirit, another

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and headquartered at the RJR Plaza Building. Founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the second-largest tobacco compan ...

brand, also includes cigarette cards on their packs, with information on such things as windpower, diversity, and their farmers. Philip Morris USA started including "Information For Smokers" cigarette cards in certain packs. One provides information on quitting smoking and the other states that "Light, "Ultra Light", "Mild", "Medium", and "Low Tar" cigarettes are just as harmful as "Full Flavor" ones.

World record price

The most valuable cigarette card in the world features

Honus Wagner Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitt ...

, one of the great names in U.S. baseball at the turn of the 20th century. The T206 Honus Wagner has repeatedly set records at auction, most recently in 2016 when it sold for $3,120,000. Wagner was a dedicated non-smoker and objected when America's biggest tobacco corporation planned to picture him on a cigarette card without his permission. Threats of legal action prevented its release, but a few slipped out, and it was one of these that stunned the collecting world when it was auctioned.

Other cigarette cards

Another notable and sought-after set of cards is the untitled series issued by Taddy and known by collectors as "Clowns and Circus Artistes". While not the rarest cards in existence (there are a number of series in which only one known example remains), they are still very rare and command high prices whenever they come up for auction. The Mecca cigarette trading card for

George Sutton George Sutton may refer to: Politicians and nobility *George Manners-Sutton (1751–1804), British politician *Lord George Manners-Sutton (1723–1783), born Lord George Manners, British nobleman and politician *Sir George Morris Sutton (1834–19 ...

is also notable for it depicts him with hands. Sutton was known as "the handless billiard player" for mastering the game with such a handicap. Apart from these examples, there are also cigarette cards that do not focus on people, but on cities or flags. File: Smyrna, from the City Flags series (N6) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands MET DP829236.jpg , Smyrna, from the City Flags series (N6) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands (1887) File:Big Run Cigarros, Flag of Smyrna (1910).jpg, Flag of Smyrna ( Izmir) pictured on the „Flags of all nations series 150 designs“ File:Bavaria, from Flags of All Nations, Series 2 (N10) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands MET DP841363.jpg, Flag of Bavaria

Classification and cataloguing

The system devised to codify 19th Century American tobacco issues has its origin in the 'American Card Catalog' (ACC), written by Jefferson Burdick. Burdick listed the

American Tobacco The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company. The company was one of the original 12 members of ...

cards in one section, broken down by companies that issued the card series and by the types of cards. The 19th Century issues were prefixed with 'N' (N1-N694) and the 20th with 'T'. (T1-T235).

The World Tobacco Index (WTI)

The World Tobacco Index (WTI), published by the Cartophilic Society of Great Britain (CSGB), lists all known tobacco issues from around the world and is still being updated today on reports of new finds. Using a similar alphanumeric system, it assigns a code based on the name of manufacturer, rather than the century in which the cards were issued. For example, Burdick's N2 'Celebrated American Indian Chiefs' by Allen & Ginter is listed as A400-030 (a), with the larger N42 series listed as A400-030 (b).

Legacy

The largest cigarette card collection on record is that of Edward Wharton-Tigar. His collection, bequeathed to the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docume ...

following his death in 1995, is recognised by the

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

as the largest collection of its kind. His

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English p ...

, "Burning Bright", details both his obsession with collecting cigarette cards, as well as his business life, which included becoming President of Selection Trust – at the time, one of the largest mining companies in the world – as well as his lifelong passion for cricket, which culminated in his presidency of Kent Cricket Club. When asked what others thought of his collecting he said: "If to collect cigarette cards is a sign of eccentricity, how then will posterity judge one who amassed the biggest collection in the world? Frankly, I care not."Wharton-Tigar, E. (1987) 'Burning Bright: The Autobiography of Edward Wharton-Tigar' London: Metal Bulletin Books, p.254 He was the president of the Cartophilic Society of Great Britain until his death in 1995.

Gallery

File:Georgia Cayvan - cigarette card c 1882.jpg, Actress Georgia Cayvan, c. 1882 File:Bill East cigarette card c1885.jpg, Bill East, English oarsman, c. 1885 File:King Kelly 0554fu.jpg, King Kelly (Goodwin & Company Cigarettes 1888) File:Maurice Daly 1888 cigarette card.png, Maurice Daly, US billiards champion, 1888 File:Chief Gall, Hunkpapa Sioux, from the American Indian Chiefs series (N2) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands MET DP828039.jpg, Chief Gall (Allen & Ginter, 1888) File:Amy Coleridge cigarette card.jpg,

Amy Coleridge Amy Coleridge (25 May 1864 – 4 August 1951) was a British actress who had a successful career playing in Shakespeare's plays in South Africa as well as in her home country. She acted in the companies of Henry Irving and John Martin-Harvey. ...

, before 1900 File:Blanche-Bates-Cigarette-1901.jpg, Actress, Blanche Bates, 1901 File:JDarlingCigCard.jpg, Former Australian cricket captain, Joe Darling, early 1900s File:Ambrose McConnell, Chicago White Sox, 1911.jpg, Ambrose McConnell (American Tobacco, 1911) File:Reformer 1911 figurita.jpg, Reformer A.C. of Argentina, Cigarrillos Monterrey, 1911 File:Sprague Cleghorn.jpg, Sprague Cleghorn (Imperial Tobacco, c. 1911–12) File:How to Hold Pets - 1.jpg, How to Hold Pets (Ogden's Cigarettes 1903–1917) File:BoyScoutImagesNYPLABoyScout.jpg,

Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

(Ogden's Cigarettes 1903–1917) File:Jack Hobens 1910 Cigarette Card.jpg, A 1910 artist's rendition of Jack Hobens (Mecca cigarettes) File:GeorgeLowSr.JPG, A 1910 card showing pro golfer

George Low Sr. George Anderson Low Sr. (November 1, 1874 – April 17, 1950) was a Scottish-American professional golfer. Low finished tied for second place in the 1899 U.S. Open championship. In total, he had five top-10 finishes in the U.S. Open. He won the ...

(Mecca cigarettes) File:VCAlexanderStewartBurton.jpg, Victoria Cross recipient

Alexander Stewart Burton Alexander Stewart Burton, VC (20 January 1893 – 9 August 1915) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Early life Bu ...

, c. 1915 (Gallaher Cigarettes) File:John L. Sullivan1.jpg,

John L. Sullivan John Lawrence Sullivan (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918), known simply as John L. among his admirers, and dubbed the "Boston Strong Boy" by the press, was an American boxer recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing, ...

(Allen & Ginter's Cigarettes), 1888-1889 File:Richard Tauber, cigarette card.jpg, Richard Tauber, ''Film, stage and radio stars'' (1932) File:BradmanCigCard.jpg, Australian batsman,

Donald Bradman Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test cricket, Test batting average (c ...

on a cigarette card distributed during the 1934

Ashes Ashes may refer to: *Ash, the solid remnants of fires. Media and entertainment Art * ''Ashes'' (Munch), an 1894 painting by Edvard Munch Film * ''The Ashes'' (film), a 1965 Polish film by director Andrzej Wajda * ''Ashes'' (1922 film), a ...

series File:CC09 DH Comet.jpg,

de Havilland Comet The de Havilland DH.106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland in the United Kingdom, the Comet 1 prototype first flew in 1949. It featured an aerodynamically clean design with four ...

(Player's Cigarettes 1935) File:George Butler Sutton, billiards player.jpg,

George H. Sutton George H. Sutton (1870–1938) known as the "handless billiard player", was a carom billiards professional in the United States and Europe in the early 1900s. He was called a "billiard expert" and he competed with other notable billiard profes ...

(Mecca cigarettes) File:Tommy Weston.jpg,

Tommy Weston Thomas Weston (2 August 1890 – 1952) was a footballer who played in the Football League for Aston Villa and Stoke. Career Weston was born in Halesowen and played for several amateur sides before joining Aston Villa Aston Villa F ...

, Champion Jockey 1926, by Gallaher Cigarettes 1936 File:Lonsdale colours0001.jpg, Lord Lonsdale's racing colours by E & W Anstie 1922 File:Shire Highlands Railway locomotive on Lambert & Butler's Cigarettes card.jpg, Shire Highlands Railway, Nyasaland Protectorate locomotive by

Lambert & Butler Lambert & Butler is a former English tobacco manufacturing company, established in 1834 in Clerkenwell, Central London, that operated as a private business until 1901 when it merged with other UK manufacturers to form the Imperial Tobacco Company ...

's "World's Locomotives" File:Jerry Abershaw. Pirates and Highwaymen series, Lambert & Butler's Cigarette card.jpg, Jerry Abershawe from Pirates and Highwaymen series (Lambert & Butler) File:Ogden's cigarette card of Fred Darling, racehorse trainer with Lord Woolavington's colours 1925.jpg, Fred Darling and Lord Woolavington's racing colours from Trainers And Owners Colours by Ogden's 1925

References

External links

Leonard Brecher Tobacco & Chewing Gum Card Collection
at th
University of Louisville Art Library

Cigarette and Trade Card Valuation

Cigarette Cards: ABCs
at the New York Public Library Digital Gallery
Catalogue of heraldic tobacco and trading cardsDuke Tobacco Company Cigarette Cards
at the Z. Smith Reynolds Library,

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private university, private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Wake Forest, north of Rale ...

LCCC Valuing Cigarette and Trade Cards
The London Cigarette Card Co. Ltd - The UK's largest supplier of cigarette, Trading cards including sport, military and modern day cards over 50 million in stock .
The Cartophilic Society of Great Britain
{{Authority control Cigarettes Collecting Trading cards Tobacciana Postcards