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Thanks to Sue Matthews getting in touch we have a rare glimpse into one of the advertising methods used to attract smokers to their brands. This one is a free weekly football competition. (see images below) In Tobacco magazines for 1933 apparently ITC were not the only company to have this competition but also International Tobacco Ltd with their Summit brand of cigarettes, and also Godfrey Phillips Ltd. There are pictures of the ITC winners receiving their cheques for £1000, which was a lot of money in those days. We don't know how long these competitions lasted for, but probably only for a few months, as it was costing the tobacco companies more than they anticipated!   Ogden's Juggler Tobacco tin...circa 1937  State Express tape measure...just 35mm diameter  Wills's Gold Flake cigarettes menu holder...made from pressed tin.. 80mm long  Army Club was a brand of cigarette distributed by Cavanders Ltd of London that was established in 1775. Advertising campaigns for this brand adopted the themes of nostalgia of wartime camaraderie and male culture. In the 1920s these cigarettes were sold in elaborate tins made of pressed copper. Cavanders was a cigarette company originally based in Manchester. The brand disappeared in 1961, as the company was taken over by the Godfrey Philips cigarette company, whose main factory is now in Mumbai.  Above photo, from another collector, showing rare Army Club ashtrays. Photos below are from my collection.   Royal Doulton bust of The Major - stands some 11inch ( 280mm) high   Empire Ware Water Jug from 1925 - 6 inch (15mm) high  Clothes Brush -Made in England -6 1/2 inch ( 165mm) long  Letter Opener - Brass handle both sides - Inch & millimetre scales on blade -10 inch (250mm) long  Drinks Tray  Cigarette Box - tin with copper effect finish - 12 inch ( 300mm) long x 5 inch (125mm) wide x 2 1/4 inch (65mm) high
Such was the power of the tobacco industry a 100 years ago and so accepted was smoking that the Prince of Wales, who reigned as King Edward VIII for a short time, is shown smoking a cigarette while being claimed 'Our Prince of Sports' on this small tray measuring approximately 6 inch by 4 inch by 3/4 inch high.   Edward VIII ‘Our Prince of Sports’ R W Coan Aluminium Tray with Feet British Empire Exhibition 1924
This later became Wembley Stadium. Robert W Coan established his business in the early 1900's in London. Pioneers with the artistic use of Aluminium which was relatively new to England at the time. Coan exhibited at the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 which was a colonial exhibition which ran at Wembley Park from April 23rd 1924 to October 31st 1925. In 1919 The Prince of Wales, Edward VIII became president of the committee organising the event and also had input into the building of Wembley Stadium there in 1923. A new stadium was built at Wembley Park for the Exhibition This tray was manufactured to be sold at this exhibition. HRH the Prince Of Wales is captured in Military Uniform on the tray. "OUR PRINCE OF SPORTS" Having not seen any new, to me, old ashtrays for a while... then 5 come along within a couple of weeks that I do not have! Here they are. Craven A -Bakelite/plastic Circa 1935  Hills SUNRIPE Cigarettes Circa 1920  Copes GOLDEN CLOUD Circa 1920  CRAVEN A c.1935?  Players Always Please c.1950?  Had a few of my ashtrays mentioned in an article in the Plastiquarian Magazine, and made the front cover, below....a bit like making the front cover of Vogue! Also within a couple of days of getting the magazine found another 'For your throat's sake smoke CRAVEN A ' ashtray. One I had not seen before and much larger in real life than expected by the photo when I bought it. Measures just over 7 inch (185mm) long each side. See photo below front cover.   A small collection of advertising material showing members of our Armed Forces used to promote the sale of cigarettes and tobacco in days long gone!          Here is an example of an item I have restored. Bought it in condition shown and not working...that is no ding when top button pressed. After a few tweaks it works fine and looks pretty? Some would say leave it in its used condition...then why do people make old classic cars look like new? Anyway its done now and good for another 90 years. As bought     Restored   time for a woodbineWoodbine was a brand of cigarette made in England by W.D. & H. O. Wills (now Imperial Tobacco) since 1888. Noted for its strong unfiltered cigarettes, the brand was popular in the early 20th century, especially with army men during the First and Second World War. In the Great War, the British Army chaplain Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy MC was affectionately nicknamed "Woodbine Willie" by troops on the Western Front to whom he handed out cigarettes along with bibles and spiritual comfort. In common parlance, the unfiltered high-tar Woodbine was one of the brands collectively known as "gaspers" until about 1950, because new smokers found their strong smoke difficult to inhale. A filtered version was launched in the United Kingdom in 1948, but was discontinued in 1988. All sorts of advertising material carried the 'Woodbine' brand and green seemed to be the basic branding colour. Woodbine is also another name for the honeysuckle, a widespread common climbing plant with its green foliage and potent scent on warm summers evenings. Was the use of the word 'woodbine' for cigarettes a deliberate ploy to associate smoking with the sweeter smelling things of life? Who knows! Here follows some typical 'Woodbine' images from my collection.         |
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Last update10 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 AuthorMike Archives
March 2023
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