COLLECTION OF VINTAGE CIGARETTE CARD ALBUMS - BRITISH EARLY 20TH CENTURY CIRCA 1910-1930

A SUBSTANTIAL COLLECTION OF CIGARETTE CARD ALBUMS CONTAINING HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUAL CARDS SPANNING MULTIPLE SERIES AND MANUFACTURERS. THESE ALBUMS REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT SNAPSHOT OF EARLY 20TH-CENTURY POPULAR CULTURE, FEATURING SPORTING HEROES, THEATRICAL PERSONALITIES, MILITARY FIGURES, AND HISTORICAL SCENES.

CONTENTS OVERVIEW:
THE COLLECTION COMPRISES MULTIPLE BOUND ALBUMS WITH CARDS SYSTEMATICALLY MOUNTED ON GREY AND BROWN CARD PAGES. NOTABLE SERIES INCLUDE CARICATURE CARDS OF SPORTING PERSONALITIES WITH HAND-COLOURED DETAILS, PORTRAIT CARDS OF THEATRICAL PERFORMERS AND PUBLIC FIGURES, MILITARY AND NAVAL PERSONNEL CARDS, AND HISTORICAL SCENE CARDS WITH COLOURED LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING. SEVERAL ALBUMS FEATURE CARDS WITH GREEN PRINTED BORDERS AND GILT DECORATIVE ELEMENTS TYPICAL OF PREMIUM CIGARETTE CARD PRODUCTION.

ALBUM CONSTRUCTION:
ALBUMS ARE BOUND IN CLOTH AND LEATHER WITH DECORATIVE GILT TITLING TO SPINES. PAGES ARE SECURED WITH BRASS FASTENERS. CARD MOUNTING IS PERIOD-ORIGINAL USING CORNER TABS AND ADHESIVE STRIPS. SEVERAL ALBUMS RETAIN ORIGINAL RETAILER LABELS AND HANDWRITTEN INSCRIPTIONS INDICATING PROVENANCE FROM PRIVATE COLLECTIONS.

CARD CHARACTERISTICS:
CARDS DISPLAY THE FULL RANGE OF EARLY CIGARETTE CARD PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES INCLUDING HAND-COLOURATION, LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING, AND EMBOSSED DETAILS. MANY CARDS BEAR PRINTED CAPTIONS IDENTIFYING SUBJECTS BY NAME AND PROFESSION. SERIES INCLUDE BOTH COMMON ISSUES AND SCARCER VARIANTS. CONDITION VARIES FROM EXCELLENT TO FAIR, WITH MOST CARDS SHOWING MINOR AGE-RELATED WEAR CONSISTENT WITH PERIOD HANDLING AND STORAGE.

CONDITION:
THE ALBUMS SHOW HONEST WEAR CONSISTENT WITH AGE AND USE. CLOTH AND LEATHER COVERS DISPLAY FADING AND CREASING. BINDING REMAINS STABLE THOUGH SOME COVERS ARE LOOSE. PAGES ARE LARGELY INTACT WITH CARDS SECURELY MOUNTED. FOXING IS PRESENT TO CARD EDGES AND SOME PAGE MARGINS. NO MAJOR LOSSES OR DAMAGE OBSERVED. THE COLLECTION REPRESENTS A USABLE REFERENCE SET RATHER THAN A PRISTINE EXAMPLE, SUITABLE FOR THE SERIOUS CIGARETTE CARD COLLECTOR OR SOCIAL HISTORY RESEARCHER.

PROVENANCE:
THE COLLECTION DERIVES FROM A PRIVATE AUSTRALIAN COLLECTION WITH NO DOCUMENTED EXHIBITION HISTORY. HANDWRITTEN NOTATIONS ON SEVERAL ALBUM COVERS SUGGEST ACQUISITION OVER TIME BY A SINGLE COLLECTOR DURING THE MID-20TH CENTURY.

NOTE:
CIGARETTE CARD COLLECTING REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MASS-PRODUCED COLLECTIBLE CATEGORIES OF THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. THESE ALBUMS PROVIDE DIRECT EVIDENCE OF MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES, PRINTING PROCESSES, AND POPULAR CULTURE OF THE EDWARDIAN AND INTER-WAR PERIODS. THE SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT AND PRESERVATION IN BOUND ALBUMS INDICATES SERIOUS COLLECTING PRACTICE AND ADDS TO THE HISTORICAL VALUE OF THE MATERIAL.

Condition: Fair - Refer To Images

293560+14

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