Diving  is a  potentially  hazardous  activity.  The materials  contained within  this  magazine  are for informational purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for proper and appropriate training.

Lots of Fish and Ships - but few Divers!

by David Strke

Before the First World War, the cards usually depicted images of  Actresses, Flowers or  Architecture, with a brief description of the  subject  on the reverse  side.  Used  as propaganda tools  during the WW1, cigarette cards came into their own between the wars.  Up until 1939 and  the outbreak  of  WW II,  when  they  were finally  discontinued  due  to  paper  shortages,  there were up to 50 cards to each complete set.

Although  the  card   themes   covered   a  staggering 45,000  topics  featuring  every  conceivable  subject, from Bridges,  Alpine  flowers,  cats, dogs, trees,  fish and ships, none of them included diving.

During the 'twenties and 'thirties, the legendary British Diving  Company, Siebe  Gorman  &  Co., had  become acknowledged     world     leaders     in     underwater technology,  due,  in  no  small  part to  the  visionary efforts  of  Managing  Director,  Sir  Robert   H  Davis, whose book, 'Deep Diving  and Submarine Operations', was  then  considered to  be  one of  the world's most authoritative works on diving.

Presumably   because  of  strong  lobbying   by  Siebe Gorman & Co., the British tobacco giant, John Player & Son,  decided, in  the  1930's,  to  produce  a  set  of cigarette cards given  over  to  diving  and  using,  for illustrations,  many  of  the  monochrome photographs and prints contained in Sir Robert Davis' book.

Regrettably  the outbreak  of  World  War II interfered with their plans and the colour plates for the cigarette cards languished in their cellars.   At  some point after WW  II,  an  unknown  person  -  with  little  apparent knowledge  of the  advances  that  had taken place in diving - 'updated' the information on  the obverse side of  some  of the  cards; perhaps  in  preparation  for a re-launch of a proven marketing ploy.

At first nothing  more than  plain  pieces of  cardboard that  later   carried   printed  advertisements  for  the tobacco    companies   themselves,   cigarette   cards achieved popularity  at the  turn of the  century when astute marketers hit on the idea  of establishing brand loyalty - and an  increase in sales - by  placing  inside each  cigarette packet a  single card from a  series of perhaps 25.

Originally intended  as 'stiffeners' for  the flimsy paper  packets that, during  the late 19th century, ready-made cigarettes were then sold in, 'cigarette cards' became one of the first collectibles available to the masses.

But  cigarette  cards  had  run  their  course  and  the plates  remained   unused   until  recently   when  the rights  were  acquired  by  a  company   specialising in collectibles. In  light  of  our   greater   knowledge  of   diving,  it's tempting to  laugh at  the bulky  images,  the  archaic equipment and the suggestion that divers who, "could dive  effectively  to  depths  in   excess   of   33  feet (10-metres)",   were   a   breed   apart!    But  as  an encapsulated  slice   of  diving   history,  these  cards represent  a  past  in  which  those  who  dived  were truly remarkable pioneers.