Ardath Tobacco Company was
established in 1896 by Sir Albert Levy. The company did not issue cards
until just before the First World War. The first sets were photogravure
reproductions of famous paintings by Rembrandt (1914), Rubens (1915),
Raphael (1915) and Valasquez (1915).
Ardath did not produce its first set of football cards until 1934. These
were painted portraits of football stars. These looked so realistic that
they appeared to be painted photographs. Its set Famous Footballers
included portraits of Raich Carter, Jimmy McGrory, Ray Westwood, Hughie
Gallacher, Jimmy Hampson, Robert Kelly, Eric Brook, Sammy Crooks,
Stanley Matthews, Cliff Bastin, Eddie Hapgood, Sam Cowan, Billy
Barraclough, James Allen, Jack Bruton, Alex James, Gordon Hodgson and
Reg Hollingsworth.
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