A Blast from the Past: The Allure of Will's Cigarettes Cards
In a 1950 country diary entry, a writer fondly recalled a remarkable series of collectable cards that captivated a generation nearly three decades earlier. The piece, dated 29 November 1950, delved into the nostalgia surrounding two unique sets of cigarette cards issued by Will's Cigarettes, one of the smaller tobacco companies of the era.
The Unique Design That Charmed a Village
The cards, which depicted British birds and their eggs, possessed a distinctive and ingenious feature. The outlines of the birds and eggs were precisely cut through the card. This clever design meant that with just a slight push, the images could be made to stand away from their background, creating a delightful three-dimensional effect.
This innovation caused a significant stir, particularly among the children in the writer's village. It sparked fierce competition, with every child eager to be the first to complete a full set of these coveted collectables. The diary lamented that the author was "nowhere in the running," as few of the adults they knew smoked that particular brand. Their own collection was limited to just a dozen bird cards and ten egg cards.
A Rediscovery in Soho and a Flood of Memories
The narrative then jumped to the present day of 1950, when the writer experienced a wave of nostalgia upon stumbling upon a complete set of each series in a shop in Soho, London. The purchase allowed for a fresh admiration of the cards' delicate colouring and truthfulness to nature.
The diary entry highlighted several specific examples, noting the soft greys of the blackcap's mantle, the deep blues and reds of the kingfisher, the mottled brown and grey of the curlew's egg, and the distinctive sky-blue of the hedge-sparrow's egg.
This rediscovery did more than just reacquaint the writer with the artwork; it unlocked a flood of personal memories. One vivid recollection involved the striking colours and bad character of the red-backed shrike. So inspired was the writer by its depiction on the card that they bribed a couple of Gypsy boys—who were strictly forbidden companions—to show them the bird's nest, a childhood adventure brought back to life by the simple power of these printed collectables.
