by Riasath Ali Asrar

You’ve probably heard of a numismatist: one who collects coins, or a philatelist: one who collects postage stamps; or at least a bibliophile: a lover and collector of books. People collect all sorts of things — mollusc shells, postcards, tokens, matchbox labels, receipts, fossils, and even teddy bears. Among these curious collectors is a special kind known as cartophilists — collectors of cards (and in our context – cigarette cards).

Cigarette Cards? What’s That?

Let’s dig into a bit of history.

Cigarette cards are trading cards originally issued by tobacco manufacturers to stiffen cigarette packaging. Their origins go back to the late 19th century America, when blank cards known as stiffeners were placed in soft paper packets to prevent cigarettes from being crushed or bent. Soon enough, the idea, of using these cards for advertising by printing pictures and text on them to promote brands, lit up!

Early cards featured sepia photographs or woodburytypes of popular actresses, politicians, and other celebrities. The size of each card was dictated by the cigarette packet it accompanied. Some of the earliest examples were even printed on silk attached to paper backings (which was later discontinued to save paper, post WWII). Occasionally, card-like coupons with special offers were included as well.

For many, these cards became a window to the world, offering glimpses of distant countries, exotic animals, soldiers, medals, and cultures. At that time, cigarette cards carried knowledge and imagery on countless subjects to millions of people. Today, these cards can be (and they are) studied as pieces of historical archives – for example, sports and military historians still study them for details on uniform design and historical accuracy.

Lighting Up the Market

Cigarette cards first appeared in the United States when the tobacco company Allen & Ginter began issuing them as early as 1879, featuring actresses, baseball players, Native American chiefs, boxers, national flags, and wild animals — some of the earliest examples ever made. Other companies, such as Goodwin & Co., soon followed, and the trend spread from the U.S. to the United Kingdom and beyond.

In 1888, W.D. & H.O. Wills became the first British manufacturer to include cards for advertising, and its “Kings & Queens” set of 1897 was the first to feature short notes on the back, offering background information about each monarch. Around 1900, other firms like John Player & Sons and Ogden’s Cigarettes released their own sets, covering a wide range of subjects — weapons, transport, racehorses, and sportsmen.

The Golden Age of Cigarette Cards

By the early 1900s, cigarette cards had gained an almost fanatical following. Over 300 manufacturers issued thousands of themed, full-colour sets — typically 25 to 50 cards each — designed to attract collectors and build brand loyalty. Production halted in 1917 due to World War I material shortages but resumed in 1922, ushering in the Golden Age of cigarette cards during the 1920s and 1930s. These sets covered every imaginable topic — from nature and geography to art and aviation — and reflected the era’s moods and anxieties. On the eve of World War II, cards like “Air Raid Precautions” appeared, while others depicting aircraft specifications were banned for security reasons. In 1940, the British government prohibited cigarette cards entirely, calling them “a waste of vital raw materials,” and post-war rationing ensured that their golden age would never return.

In the early days, the only way to collect cigarette cards was by pulling them from tobacco packets or swapping them with friends. Some vintage postcards even depict humorous scenes of eager collectors pestering others for their cards. The first known cigarette card dealer was Mr. G. A. Johnson of Netherton, Wishaw (North Lanarkshire, Scotland), who issued a four-page sales list in 1916, labelled “Number 6” — though issues 1–5 have never been found. A decade later, in 1927, Mr. Bagnall founded the British Cigarette Card Company, soon renamed The London Cigarette Card Company to avoid confusion with The British Cigarette Company. Its first Catalogue of Prices appeared in 1929, followed by a magazine called Cigarette Card News in 1933 — a publication that still exists today under the name Card Collectors News. Around the same time, organized collecting took root: the Dublin Cigarette Card Club was founded in 1933, followed two years later by The Cameric Cigarette Card Club in London, established by Derek Campbell Burnett and Arthur Eric Cherry. Their first annual general meeting was held on October 8, 1938, and that same year, the Cartophilic Society of The Great Britain was formed.

Legacy

The passion for collecting grew so immense that some individuals built collections of astonishing scale. The largest ever assembled belonged to Edward Wharton-Tigar, whose vast holdings were bequeathed to the British Museum after his death in 1995, and are recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest collection. Among individual cards, none is more famous — or valuable — than the T206 Honus Wagner card, featuring one of the greatest baseball players of the early 20th century. This card has repeatedly shattered auction records, selling in 2016 for $3,120,000. Ironically, Honus Wagner himself was a non-smoker.

What began as a simple stiffener for cigarette packs became, in time, a pocket-sized chronicle of the world. For collectors and historians alike, these little cards continue to tell stories.