Major cigarette companies such as Players Club often produced trading cards which they’d tuck into each pack of cigarettes. These popular little collectible cards were meant to add an element of bubble-gum like fun to the smoking experience. The companies often manufactured albums into which these cards could be placed as they were collected. Subjects ranged from film stars and sports figures to royalty and flowers and everything else in between.
As you’ve seen, I have amassed a rather nifty collection of cigarette cards focused on the British Royal Family, especially about King George V and Queen Mary. Recently, a friend of mine in England, sent me two complete albums of royalty-themed cards which I was happy to discover are in nearly pristine condition.
Here’s one of them. This album was produced in 1935 for the Silver Jubilee of King George V by John Player & Sons Cigarettes and is entitled “The Kings and Queens of England: 1066-1935.” Each card features a beautifully rendered illustration of each King and Queen. The cards have been pasted onto each page into lovely little frames. Since pasting them in the album obscures the text on the back—describing each monarch—the copy from the reverse of each card has been conveniently printed on each frame. To find a complete set of cards in an album is extremely rare, but to find one in such fine condition is the Holy Grail of collecting these fun little items. So, I’m especially thrilled.
I've selected a few pages to show you, so, let's take a look inside:
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