CIGARETTE BRANDS
J. WIX & SONS Ltd
La storia di J. Wix & Sons Ltd. inizia nel 1898, quando Julius Wix, un imprenditore di origini russe naturalizzato britannico, fonda l'azienda. Inizialmente, si specializzano nella produzione di sigarette per John Barker di Kensington, lanciando il marchio "Ken-Bar". Con il passare degli anni, l'azienda cresce e nel 1918 inizia a pubblicizzare le sigarette Kensitas, che diventeranno uno dei loro prodotti di punta.
JOHN PLAYER & SONS
Origine: Nottingham (Fondata nel 1877) "Forse il nome più iconico nel mondo del collezionismo. Il marinaio barbuto nel salvagente 'Hero' è uno dei loghi più riconoscibili della storia britannica. La John Player & Sons ha prodotto una quantità sterminata di serie di altissima qualità, spaziando dalle uniformi militari alle celebri serie 'Film Stars' e 'Cricketers'. Le loro card sono spesso il punto di partenza per ogni nuovo collezionista grazie alla loro perfetta conservazione e diffusione."
JOHN SINCLAIR LTD
Origin: Newcastle-on-Tyne (Founded 1856) "Pride of the North of England, based in Newcastle. Although the company was most famous for its Rubicon pipe tobacco, Sinclair produced very refined and distinctive series of cigarette cards. For film collectors, their 'Film Stars' series are particularly interesting: they often used different shots and colorations than the standardized images used by the big London brands, offering portraits of 1930s actors with a unique personality."
LAMBERT & BUTLER
Origine: Londra (Fondata nel 1834) "Una delle case fondatrici dell'Imperial Tobacco, Lambert & Butler rappresentava l'eleganza londinese. Le loro serie sono note per una grafica pulita e sofisticata. Particolarmente ricercate sono le serie dedicate ai motori e all'aviazione ('Aero Club'), ma anche le loro collezioni sul mondo del cinema muto offrono ritratti di una nitidezza sorprendente per l'epoca."
MURRAY SONS & C° LTD
Origin: Belfast (Founded 1810) "A true Irish institution. Founded in Belfast, Murray's has become legendary worldwide, especially for its pipe tobaccos, such as the famous 'Mellow Mixture' and Erinmore. In the field of cigarette cards, they have distinguished themselves with series that are often original and less conventional than the English giants. Their cards are highly appreciated for the quality of the printing and for the subjects that range from general curiosities to the world of entertainment, adding a touch of 'Northern Irish' class to the collection."
NICOLAS SARONY & Co.
Origin: London (New Bond Street) "A brand synonymous with aristocratic elegance. Located on London's prestigious New Bond Street, Sarony produced high-end cigarettes ('Sifted Virginia'). This pursuit of luxury was perfectly reflected in their cards: often produced in larger-than-standard formats (Large Cards), they are famous for the 'Cinema Stars' series. These images are distinguished by exceptional photographic quality, elaborate decorative borders, and the actors' signatures printed in gold or in crisp italics, making them true display miniatures."
OGDEN'S TOBACCO CO
Origin: Liverpool (Founded 1860) "An absolute pioneer. Thomas Ogden was the first to realise the potential of large-scale cigarette cards. Their 'Guinea Gold' series (glossy real photos with gold or black borders) is legendary: between 1894 and 1907 they documented virtually every famous person of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, from generals to stage divas, creating a visual archive without equal."
PETER JACKSON Ltd.
Origin: London (Piccadilly - Founded 1903) "A revolutionary brand based at 217 Piccadilly. Peter Jackson is famous in tobacco history for launching the first commercially successful filter cigarette in 1930: the du Maurier. The name was chosen in honor of the famous actor Sir Gerald du Maurier, who lent his name to the brand to pay off his back taxes! Their cigarette cards from the 1930s are splendid: the 'Shots from the Films' series and the 'Speed through the Ages' collections stand out for their modern, dynamic graphics, very different from the static Victorian style."
R. & J. HILL
Origine: Londra (Shoreditch / Spinet House - Fondata nel 1775) "Con sede nella storica Spinet House di Londra, la R. & J. Hill è un marchio venerato per l'eccezionale qualità artistica delle sue produzioni. Famose per le sigarette Sunripe e Spinet, le loro card sono spesso descritte come piccoli capolavori. La serie 'Views of Interest' è un esempio perfetto di stampa fotografica colorata a mano, mentre le collezioni dedicate alle invenzioni, allo sport e alle 'Scientific Inventions' mostrano un livello di dettaglio informativo e grafico superiore alla media, rendendole oggi pezzi da investimento."
RICHARD LLOYD & SONS
Origin: London (Clerkenwell Road - Founded 1785) "One of London's oldest houses, best known for Bondman pipe tobacco ('Rich Dark Virginia') and the iconic Old Holborn. Although known for loose tobacco, Richard Lloyd produced exceptional card series for cinema collectors. Their 'Cinema Stars' series (often found with unusual numberings such as the sequence 28-54) is highly sought after: these are genuine black and white glossy photographs of the highest quality, portraying the stars of the 1930s with a clarity superior to many colour illustrations of the period.
ROTHMANS
Origin: London (Founded 1890) "Synonymous with luxury, Louis Rothman began with a small kiosk on Fleet Street and went on to become a purveyor to the royal courts. Rothmans cards reflect this elite positioning: often larger than standard size or printed on superior quality paper, their series dedicated to cinema ('Beauties of the Cinema') are known for the elegance of the poses and attention to detail."
SENIOR SERVICE (cigarettes)
Origin: Manchester (Produced by JA Pattreiouex) "An icon of British style. The name itself is an honorable tribute to the Royal Navy, historically nicknamed the 'Senior Service' as the oldest of the Kingdom's armed forces. Produced by the JA Pattreiouex factory in Manchester (later absorbed by the Gallaher group), these cigarettes are revered by collectors for a specific technical reason: the printing quality. Their cards are almost always real photographs (Photogravure technique) in black and white or sepia, endowed with a sharpness and realism that the color illustrations of the time could not match. Sober, elegant and technically perfect."