What's On My Desk - Tea cards

Two words. The British. They may seem stuffy with tea time, the assorted royalty, and their proclivity to spell tire t-y-r-e but don't let that fool you. Beneath their 18th century Wainscoted veneer they know how to get down like no one else. I cite before you as examples the ear piercing whine of a four cylinder turbocharged Lotus Esprit, the throaty roar of an RAF Spitfire hurtling through the clouds, or the face numbing sweat-streaked howling badassedness of these Brooke Bond Tea cards.














So here's the skinny: Brooke Bond & Company was engaged in the practice of selling tea. In the 1950s and 60s they offered various series of small, illustrated collector's cards as a promotion to appeal to the children of their customers . Each set of cards ran about fifty in number all conforming to a specific theme such as "Famous Britons" or "Butterflies Of The World" and could be placed in their own miniature album which contained additional illustrations and further details about the subject of the series. Needless to say all are amazingly illustrated and not all that easy to get a hold of. This is especially true if you're looking for a complete set, the collector's album and you want them in decent shape. I've been fortunate enough to obtain three such sets-
The Race Into Space: Man's first 50 Steps Into The Universe, The Saga Of Ships, and The Sea- Our Other World (my personal favorite!).

So sit down, get comfy, and enjoy a couple of photos. Brooke Bond Tea Cards- on my desk!