1930s Vintage Wills Cigarette Card: "Speed" Series - The Sea Hawk
1930s Vintage Wills Cigarette Card: "Speed" Series - The Sea Hawk is a vintage Cigarette Cards artifact by W.D. & H.O. Wills (The Imperial Tobacco Co.) from 1930, preserved in The Record Institute Ephemera Archive.
Category: Cigarette Cards
Brand: W.D. & H.O. Wills (The Imperial Tobacco Co.)
Year: 1930
Rarity Class: C
Issued during the interwar golden age of cartophily, this W.D. & H.O. Wills cigarette card captures the romance and commercial ambition of maritime design. Featuring "The Sea Hawk" commercial speed boat, it reflects an era when the sheer velocity of modern machines was marketed as a thrilling new frontier for the everyday consumer.
Quick Read
Era & Origin: c. 1930s, Great Britain. Issued by W.D. & H.O. Wills (Imperial Tobacco Co.) as a cigarette pack insert. Subject: "The Sea Hawk," a commercial 30-foot passenger speed boat designed for holiday resorts. Series: Card #50 in the 50-card "Speed" series, specifically categorized under "(e) The Sea." Cultural Context: Reflects the 1930s fascination with technological progress, where achieving 35 m.p.h. on water was marketed as a thrilling attraction for the paying public. Condition: Retains vibrant front lithography and a clean, legible text reverse; minor edge wear and scattered foxing consistent with nearly a century of survival.
Summary
Issued during the interwar golden age of cartophily, this W.D. & H.O. Wills cigarette card captures the romance and commercial ambition of maritime design. Featuring "The Sea Hawk" commercial speed boat, it reflects an era when the sheer velocity of modern machines was marketed as a thrilling new frontier for the everyday consumer.
