TOBACCO CARD: “Winston L.S. Churchill, War Correspondent”

Description A very early Boer War-era tobacco card featuring Great Britain’s highest paid war reporter of his time. Manufactured in 1901 for Ogden’s Tab Cigarettes, the card measures 2 1/4 x 1 3/8 inches and is one in a series of 54 “Leading Generals at the War.” The verso of the card contains an advertisement and brief bio of “Winston L.S. Churchill, war correspondent for Morning Post in South Africa. Taken prisoner near Colenso, Nov. 14th; afterwards escaped from Pretoria.” The early use of Churchill’s middle initial “L” (for Leonard) would very soon cease. The card is in in good-very good condition, with light edgewear and some modest fading to the card front, more significant wear to the verso, where a size-able portion of the type has been rubbed away.