Item HT 33430 Cigarette Card - Dame Nellie Melba, Ogden's Guinea Gold Cigarettes, circa 1900

Summary

Cigarette card featuring a bust portrait of Dame Nellie Melba, produced by Ogden's Guinea Gold Cigarettes, circa 1900.

Dame Nellie Melba is one of Australia's most famous cultural icons and exports. Her operatic achievements were acknowledged both nationally and internationally and her World War I fundraising efforts earned her Dame Commander of the British Empire. This item will enhance the Museum's very modest collection relating to Melba, demonstrating her international fame and popularity through the reproduction of her image on a mass-produced advertising product.

Cigarette cards began production in America in 1885, when the 'stiffeners', pieces of card used to stiffen the back of cigarette packs, were printed with company advertising. Two years later, printed cigarette cards began circulation in Europe, and from the 1897 Wills 'Kings & Queens' set, routinely featured descriptions of the image printed on its reverse. Cigarette and other cards such as trade cards were often collected in paper photo albums, in which the cards were affixed beside descriptions. By the early 20th century, thousands of different sets of cigarette cards were being issued by over 300 cigarette companies, including Ogden, Wills and Warwick and Warwick as collectable novelties in their cigarette packaging.

Physical Description

Card in sepia tones featuring a bust portrait of Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba. The portrait is in three quarter view. The card has a brown border and title and company text. the reverse side is blank.

Significance

This cigarette card, and the many of Melba that were produced, illustrate her international fame and popularity through the reproduction of her image on a mass-produced advertising product. Ogden's issued a series of Guinea Gold & Tabs cards, which appeared from 1894 to 1907 covering events, personalities and influences of that time. Thousands of these were produced on subjects like Boer War personalities, weapons, transport, actresses, racehorses, sportsmen and many more, with varying designs.