Aesop's Fables  >  Aesop's Artifacts >...> Gallaher  >  100 Card Series

100 Card Series

Fables and Their Morals. 100 Designs in Set. Issued by Gallaher Ltd., Belfast & London. Gallaher issued apparently three sets of 100 cards, 1½" x 2½". The illustrations, nicely detailed for their size, are identical in each set. The picture side always features "Gallaher's Cigarettes" and a block-print title on the colored picture, with "Copyright" in the lower right corner. The design of each set's verso differs slightly. One finds the title of the series, a title, a fable text, a moral, and a bold strip at the bottom proclaiming "Issued by Gallaher Ltd., Belfast & London." Below is a copy of a verso from each set and hover hover-buttons to view the common pictures in groups of ten. My prizes among the illustrations go to these cards: #41. The Horse and the Ass, #43. The Field of Treasure, and #71. The Vain Jackdaw. At least "The Ass and His Driver" (#38) and maybe more illustrations are taken from Tenniel.

1912 "Number by Caption."  The number in the series here appears in the upper left below the banner at the top of the verso.  There are larger and more elaborate floral patterns in both upper corners.  Within the banner we read not only "100 Designs in Set" but also "Series I."  Complete set for £140 by mail from Murray Cards International, Cecil Court, London, Oct., '06.  Complete set of 100 missing only card #36 for £32.10 from John Whitehurst, Staffordshire, England, through eBay, August, '03.  Card #36 from Murray Cards International, London, for £3, August, '03.  Extra copies of #20, #33, #41, #45, #46, and #77.  

1922 "Thin Numerals." The number in the series here appears in large, thin print within the banner at the upper right. The crosslike form in the upper left corner touches the outer line of the frame. The typesetting of the fable text in this series is that of the 1912 series, except for the change in placement of the card number. #43 verso here has "The Field of Threasure." Complete set for £70 from Murray Cards International, Cecil Court, London, July, '99. Extra copies of #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #13, #15, #28, #30, #32, #36, #40, #45, #52, #54, #70, #85, #96, and #99.  Extra set of 100 for £12 from an unknown source. Partial set of 49 extras for $15 from John Cole, Kent, UK, through eBay, August, '10.

1922 "Thick Numerals." The number in the series here appears in thick, bold print within the banner at the upper right. The crosslike form in the upper left corner does not touch the outer line of the frame. The typesetting of the fable text in this series is tighter than in either of the others. The green ink here is often so dark as to seem black. #43 verso here has "The Field of Treasure." Complete set for $40 from Mandy North-Graves, Norfolk, England, through Ebay, March, '00.