Imperial Tobacco Collection
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Imperial Tobacco Company
  • Display Figures (7)
  • Ashtrays (464)
    • A- ABDULLA, AFTON, ADKINS, ALLEN (Richmond Gem), ANSTIE,
    • ARDATH-Ardath-State Express-333, 555, 777
    • BROADLEAF, BRYANT & MAY, BLUES, SWAN VESTA
    • CARRERAS-Craven A, Dunhill, Kensitas, Picaddilly, Turf
    • OGDEN'S- (Robin, St. Bruno, St. Julien, Guinea Gold)
    • C- CHESTERTFIELD, CAVENDERS ( Army Club), CHURCHMAN, COPES, JOHN COTTON, CWS
    • DAVIDOFF, DE RESZKE & DOBIES
    • ENGLAND'S GLORY, EDWARDS, RINGER
    • FRANKLYN'S & FAULKNER
    • GALLAHERS- Ariel, B&H, Cadets, du-Maurier, Nelson, Olivier, Park Drive, Senior Service, Silk Cut, Sterling
    • GREYS, HILLS, LAMBERT & BUTLER, MARCELLA, MITCHELLS, MARCOVITCH, MELACHRINO, PARLIMENT,
    • PLAYER'S-(Anchor, Bachelor, Country Life, Clipper, Gold Leaf, JPS, Navy cut, Player's Please, Player's, Vanguard, Weights)
    • ROTHMANS, STUYVESANT, SALMON & GLUCKSTEIN ,TEOFANI, WESTMINSTER, WINTERMANNS
    • WILLS'S-(Star, Capstan, Gold flake, Woodbine, Bristol, Embassy, Castella, Strand, Virginia, etc.)
  • Dominoes-Sets & Singles (37)
  • Cribbage Boards (91)
  • Jugs, Mugs & Tankards (83)
  • Change & Drinks Trays (72)
  • Mirrors (17)
  • Single Playing Cards (591)
    • Player's
    • Wills's
    • Carraras - CravenA, Dunhill, Kensitas, Turf
    • Ardath - State Express
    • All Other Brands
  • Beermats (164)
  • Tins & Boxes (32)
  • Park Drive-Cigarette Case-Football Clubs (27)
  • Fixture Cards (30)
  • Bowls, Club & Whist Cards (72)
  • Matchbooks (48)
  • Paper Weights (7)
  • Matchbox Covers (6)
  • JPS (John Player Special) (25)
  • Toys & Games (124)
  • Paper/Card/Metal Adverts (24)
  • Misc Items (89)
  • WWII Soldiers in India (1)

A Collection of Cigarette & Tobacco Advertising hardware
- Mostly issued  by
​the Imperial Tobacco company (ITC)

(Period 1920-2000)

ITC History

A colourful period..

5/3/2016

2 Comments

 
In this age of instant digital colour photos we tend to forget that less than 70 years ago colour was missing from the vast majority of newspapers and photographs. Both were printed in black and white and there was little TV until the mid 50's and then no colour. The only means of producing colour images was by employing the skills of illustators/artists and reproducing their work by printing. To this end the vast majority of colour advertising was printed artwork. Such colourful work must have had a large impact on the population of those days.
Some of the finest examples of this artwork can be found in the iconic railway posters of the 30's, 40's and 50's. The cigarette and tobacco industry was on a par but because of the nature of the products used smaller illustration sizes. Along with the obvious tobacco advertising material, extolling the virtues of all forms of smoking, the artwork appeared on all types of associated products from cigarette cards to drinks trays.
Here are few examples of such work.
​
Let's start with the months of the calendar for 1957 ...illustrations by A.J.Wilson..famous for his LNER railway poster paintings.
What the first 3 months look like as a full page calendar. Just 10 x 8 inches (250 x 200 mm)
Not forgetting the vast number of miniature works of art produced by those responsible for all the cigarette cards that many of us collected...here are just a few....
Cars from series one and two of Player's cigarette cards. (1936 & 1937)
Famous film stars from Player's series 2 set of cigarette cards.
A free standing cardboard advert . two drinks trays and an Ogdens's tin plate showing more of the illustators art.
A large advert ...to hang on the wall in the parlour!! (measures some 3 x 2 feet)
Picture
and finally the March tip for you gardeners.
Picture
A small example of the skills of the unsung artists and illustrators of days past!
2 Comments
    Click to set custom HTML

      Contact me

    Submit

    Last update

    15 August 2024 - Three Nuns holder and A! sub card added.
    6th March 2024 - couple of Whist cards added.
    9 Jan 2024 - Players Doncella cigar novelty car added.
    ​30 Dec 2023 - Cricket fixture card added.
    10 December 2023 - Broadleaf ashtray added.
    ​3 December 2023- added Chairman imp display figure.
    ​16 Oct 2023 - Added Players Navy Cut ashtray
    11 Oct 2023 - Turf glass ashtrey added.
    ​8 oct 2023 - 2 Weights ashtrays added.
    30 Sept - Craven A ashtray added.
    ​8 Sept - Craven A ashtray, 2 Rugby league fixture cards and Player's Gold Leaf clock added.
    ​29 August 2023 - added British Oak dart flights.
    ​3 Aug 2023 - added Wills's E.G. ashtray.
    21 May 2023 - Ringers ashtray  and Wills's Legation advert added.
    ​26 March 2023 - Capstan ashtray added. No.3 on list.
    25 Feb 2023- Added Wills Soccor and Ringers A1 Shag crib boards.
    26 Jan 2023-Chesterfield ashtray added
    ​19 Jan 2023- Kensitas ashtray added.
    3 Dec 2022 - Black Cat ashtray added.
    27 Oct. 2022 - added Diplomat and Gold Flake ashtrays.
    ​16 Oct 2022 - added Biggs's change tray & Players No 6 ashtray.
    ​9 Sept 2022- added State Express and Westminster ashtrays.
    17 August 2022- Four Square change tray added.
    05 August 2022 - added DeReszke ashtray
    ​21 July 2022-Added Ogdens brass Guinea Gold ashtray
    26 June 2022 Added cribbage board, Embassy dominoes and Dobie photos.
    ​13 Jan 2022 - added Wills change tray and several single playing cards

    Author

    Mike
    ​Owner of a box room filled with all the things my wife will throw away when I am gone...including me!
    ​Plus more 'toys' in the garage!

    My Austin 101 van
    My MGB GT

    Archives

    January 2024
    March 2023
    March 2021
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    February 2019
    September 2018
    July 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All

    ITC -Numbers to Year
    Further Information
    Imperial Tobacco Co.
    W.D. & H.O Wills's
    John Player's & Son
    Gallahers
    Carreras (Craven A.)
    Ogdens (Robin etc.)
    TobaccoCollectibles
    Picture

    Ahoy there!

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly