Collection of cigarette cards

PXA 7760

fonds

approximately 1884-1954

Graphic Materials, Photographs, Textual Records, Ephemera

9679763

approximately 7000 cigarette cards (12 boxes) - printed card, printed silk - 8 x 5 cm, and smaller

Cigarette cards are trading cards 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 featured a wide range of subjects, including sports figures, celebrities, costumes, historical events, the military, and other popular culture. The cards were so popular they became a hobby for many, to trade and collect. with specialty albums produced to store and display them.

BOX 1
Cards mounted in cigarette card album. Some series are incomplete.
Includes cards from series: Historic events; Ocean Greyhounds; Arms of the British Empire; King and Queens of England; Garden Flowers; Coronation of Their Majesties; Victoria Cross Heroes; Comic Picture Series; Military Uniforms; Story of Ships; Celebrities of British History; Uniforms of the Territorial Army; British Butterflies; Garden Hints; British & Foreign Butterflies; Types of the British Army; Girls of All Nations; Do You Know; Air Raid Precautions; British Empire Series; Aviation.

BOX 2
Cards mounted in cigarette card album. Some series are incomplete.
Includes cards from series: Howlers; Modern Motor Cars; Cricketers; Sea Adventure; Code of International Signals; Transport - Then & Now; Railway Engines; History of Naval Uniforms; The Story of Navigation; Propelled Weapons; Fish We Eat; Alice in Wonderland; Wild Animals; African Types; Annuals; Animals; Sea Shore; Coronation Series; Warships (U.S.A.); Life in the Royal Navy; The World's Dreadnoughts; First Aid; Riders of the World.

BOX 3
Cards mounted in cigarette card album. Some series are incomplete.
Includes cards from series: Interesting Buildings; A Tour Around the World; Allied War Leaders; Wild West; Wild Animals; Royal Mail; Arms and Armour; Time and Money in Different Countries; Signalling; War Incidents; War Pictures; Modern War Weapons; British Warship and Admirals; Fish of Australasia; Flag Girls of All Nations; Horses of Today; Britains Defenders; Boy Scout and Girl Guide Patrol Signs & Emblems; Wild Birds; Nature Series; Game Birds & Wild Fowl; Puppies; The Reign of His Majesty King George V; U.S.S. Co. Steamers; Railway Equipment; Admirals & Generals; Birds of Australasia.

BOX 4
Cards mounted in cigarette card album. All series in this book are incomplete sets.
Includes cards from series: Test Cricketers; Associated Cup Winners; Dandies; History of Naval Dress; Military Head Dress; Fire-Fighting Appliances; Gilbert & Sullivan; Famous Film Stars; Colours of Australian Infantry; Boer War Series; Shakespeare Series; Famous Inventions; Military Motors; Famous Film Stars; Napolean; Cricket Terms; Gems of Russian Architecture; Russo-Japanese Series; Australian Senators and Prime Ministers; Cricketers (Australian & English); Cricketers - Australia Club Players; Poultry; Polar Exploration; Reproductions of Recruiting Posters as Issued By the Military Authorities; Ships of All Nations; British Livestock; Gems of Belgian Architecture; Colonial & Indian Army Badges.

BOX 5
Cards mounted in cigarette card album. All series in this book are incomplete sets.
Includes cards from series: Sports of All Nations; Flags of the League of Nations; Australian Wild Flowers; Soldiers of the World; Flags of the World; Empire Games & Test Teams; Commonwealth Military Forces; Riddles; Cinema Stars; Gems of British Scenery; Animal Series; Those Pearls of Heaven; Prominent Australian and English Cricketers; Gems of Belgian Architecture; Cricketers 1930.

BOX 6
Cards mounted in cigarette card album. All series in this book are incomplete sets.
Includes cards from series: Signalling; Australian Football Incidents in Play; Australian Footballers; General Interest; Irish View Scenery; Gems of Beauty; Connundrums; Soldiers of the World; Admirals, Warships & Leaders;
Rulers of the World; Characters from Dickens; Uniforms of the Army; How To Keep Fit; Famous Film Stars; Street Criers in London; Star Girls; Lantern Girls; Flower Girls; Australian Footballers.

BOX 7
Cards mounted in cigarette card album. Some series are incomplete.
Includes cards from series: Melbourne Cup Winners; Victoria Cross Heroes; Overseas Dominions (Australia); Overseas Dominions (Canada); Regimental Colours and Cap Badges; The Coronation Series; Military Portraits; Britain's Part in the War; Best Dogs of Their Breed; Regimental Colours; Battlefields of Great Britain; Inventors and Their Inventions; Sports of All Nations; Physical Culture; Alpine Flowers; Beauties; Famous Explorers; Battle Scenes; Victoria Cross; A Tour Round the World; Mining; Kings and Queens of England; Players - Past & Present; Arms of Foreign Cities; Actresses; Sketches in Black and White; Ceremonial & Court Dress; Raemaekers War Cartoons; Kute Kiddies; Derby Day Series; Musical Celebrities; Actresses; Gems of French Architecture; Birds, Nests & Eggs; Ships Figureheads; English Cricketers; Photos of General Interest; Transvaal Series; Gilbert and Sullivan.

BOX 8
Cards mounted in cigarette card album. All series in this book are incomplete sets.
Includes cards from series: Animals; Great War Leaders & Warships; Medals & Decoration; Australian V.C's & Officers; Crests of British Warships; Australian Jockeys; Australian Racehorses; Kings, Emperors & Statesmen; Scenes in South Africa.

BOX 9
Cards mounted in cigarette card album. Some series are incomplete.
Includes cards from series: Football Club Colours Borough Arms; Cricketers - Australian & English; General Interest; Cricketers - Australian, South African & UK; Regimental Uniforms; Sports of the World; Bygone Beauties; Speed; Stage & Music Hall Portraits; Celebrities; Natives of the World; Flags of All Nations; U.S. Army & Navy; Dancing Women; Butterflies; Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans; Champions; Dancing Girls of the World; Fancy Dress Ball Costumes; Portraits of our Leading Actors & Actresses in the Costumes of All Nations.

BOX 10
Loose cigarette cards.
Includes cards from series: Our Empire; Modern War Weapons; Australian Wild Flowers; Best Dogs of Their Breed; War Medals; Kings & Queens of England; Flags of 1914-1918 Allies.

BOX 11
Loose cigarette cards.
Includes cards from series: Australian Scenic Series; Crests & Badges of the British Army; Crests and Colours of Australian Universities, Colleges and Schools; Arms of the British Empire; Musical Celebrities (in cigarette tin); Badges of British Regiments. Selection of Cards from: Gallery Pictures; Art Treasures; England, Historic and Picturesque; Postage Stamps; Australian Butterflies; Popular Flowers.

BOX 12
Loose cigarette cards.
Includes cards from series: English Period Costumes; The Nation's Shrines; Sporting Terms; Butterflies and Moths; Famous People and Places; Favourite Dogs; Popular Pets; Animals of the World; Tailwaggers; Merrie England (in cigarette tin); Actors and Actresses; Ovaltine; Popular Film Stars; Man of Stamina; Australian & English Cricketers (in cigarette tin); Selection of cards from varied series.

Access via appointment - Issued under supervision.

Out of copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

A rough listing, prepared by the Library in 1979, is available in Box 1 of the collection.

General contents taken from 1979 listing.
For further general information see:
The world tobacco issues index : an authentic catalogue without prices of cigarette cards issued anywhere in the world up to the end of 1956. Windsor, Berkshire : Cartophilic Society of Great Britain, 1956-1965.

A rough listing (prepared in 1979, probably by Library staff) including manufacturers and series titles is housed with the collection in Box 1.
Many of the cards in this collection are duplicates of cards held in the Mitchell Library published book collection.

Box 10 previously housed in a green box (discarded) and donated by Mrs Murray.
Box 11 previously housed in a large brown box (discarded), provenance unknown.
Box 12 previously housed in small brown box (discarded) and cigarette tins.