Kings and Queens

I went into the new antique store in town looking for a gift and came out with this amazing piece for my studio wall.  How cool is this?  The frame was custom made with clear glass on the back so you can read the information on each King and Queen.



John Player & Sons, set to 50 cigarette cards, 1935.  Kings and Queens of England.

Cigarette cards were inserted into packets of cigarettes to advertise or promote sales.  They normally had a picture on the front and a related description on the back.  The cards were issued mainly from the end of the 19th century until the beginning of World War II, when due to a severe paper rationing cigarette card production ground to a halt.  Cigarette cards were specifically issued to be collected.

Player's was one of the first UK tobacco companies to include sets of general interest cards in their packs of cigarettes.