EXTRACTS: Pirates! Illustrators Special Edition © 2020 The Book Palace (128 PAGES in Full edition)

122 Cigarette cards were trade cards issued by tobacco manu- facturers to stiffen cigarette packaging and advertise cigarette brands. Between 1875 and the 1940s, cigarette companies often included collectible cards with their packages of cigarettes. In 1888 W.D.& H.O. Wills became the first British cigarette manufacturer to include cards, again originally for advertising purposes, however, in 1895 they issued their first general interest set titled Ships & Soldiers. At a time when most common folk were barely literate, these beautifully produced full colour cards quickly established a popular following. Cards were organised in sets, usually between 25 or 50 cards, featuring a common topic or theme and were designed to be collected. By the early 1900s cigarette cards had established an almost fanatical following with thousands of different sets being issued by more than 300 cigarette manufacturers, all competing with each other to sell their products and establish brand loyalty. In those days it was a common sight to see children standing outside a shop asking “can I have your fag card, sir.”