COLLECTING CIGARETTE CARDS AND SPECIAL SERIES.
Just a small sinopsis about these cards as i dont want it to be a boring history excercise Cigarette cards as we know them date back well before the 19 th century. Their precursors started hundreds of years before this time . Initially they were used to Hawk for business.
Many people were illiterate and the early cards were mostly Pictorial and handed out to the Gentry. Chimney Sweeps, coal men and even the Night Cart man used them.
The Bodleian Library in Oxford University have records of many. Printing methods improved and the cards were swept into a new Era.
Colour and Decorative versions becameinto being capturing peoples imagination and curiosity. The Victorians embraced them as they could see Exotic
Animals Soldiers sportsmen and Dogs.
Anything that captured peoples interest were featured.
BULLDOGS were depicted in many Bulldogs photographed can be found in many series that were put out.
These are very interesting to collectors. You can see how the BULLDOG has changed gradually over the years, compared to our present ones.
Cards came in series of usually 25, or 50 or less. Albums were produced to display the collections. Clubs were formed and still Exist today. They hold auctions and swap cards and can be found online.
This will lead you to access other Collectors.