The ubiquitous Player's "Hero" is regarded as one of the most famous trademarks of all time. John Player convinced that a bearded sailor was the ideal image to market his new "Navy Cut" tobacco, purchased the original image  from W.J.Parkins of Chester who had used it on an advertisement for Jack's Glory tobacco in 1880. Player's began using it in different styles with the most popular being the life buoy superimposed over the sailor's head in 1888 and in 1891 the year the design was first registered-warships, HMS Britannia and the more modern looking HMS Hero, were incorporated into the design which can be seen clearly from the picture posted.

The other pictures are my freestanding Player's Shop which I had shown before and is one of my nicer card signs. It would be nice to see other Player's advertising and keep the theme running for a couple of weeks.

Bacco

 love that stand-up card bacco..probley seen this one before,but im sure you wont mind.

Hi Bacco

This should be a good thread, Hav'nt got much Players stuff myself sorry.... but this lovely light box is presently on ebay even if, at a massively inflated price.

Lummox

I belive this was on sale at an auction down south last week. 

anyone  for  a  ciggy.....

 saw  at car boot last  year,,,,,,

Heres a couple of my Players items

One more.

that players enamel is a corker jboywalker..would be very interested if you ever decide to get rid of it..thanks for showing..

Nice one banjo b & eddy 1. I like the light box Lummox but as you quite rightly say OTT. Also, that enamel of yours jboywalker looks to be in superb condition.

This framed showcard, shows the sailor with HMS Invincible on his cap band. HMS Invincible was the title of the oil painting of the Sailor by Arthur McCormick (1860-1943). HMS Invincible was one of the fast, much -vaunted battle-cruisers of the post-Dreadnought era and was sunk at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 with a heavy loss of life. However, Player's did not point that out to customer's as it did not fit in with the glamour of the Navy.

bacco

 good  thread  bacco,,,,,,  great   to  see  em  all   ,,i was told there  are different  versions of  ships  in   back  ground......cheers  eddy

i know it s nothing major but has anyone else noticed that the sailors head in baccos stand up card is turning the opposite way..the picture in the bay window..?? oh well ill get me coat..

That Die cut Shop card is certainly a fabulous thing Bacco 
Never seen one before 

Relics

Hi eddy,

I'm not aware of other ships in the background but if someone can show different then great. Banjo have not come across others facing left but was aware of it. Relics your dummy display pkt and your tin seem in great condition. Your showcard with HMS Excellence on the hat-band. I think that ship became a training ship based in Portsmouth!!!!

The following showcards have been copied from original paintings by W.L.Wyllie RA 1909. (1) Titled "Second Cruiser Squadron" in North Sea. (2) HMS Bellerphon.

bacco

bit more to keep  what should be a great thread going...wish this was enamel.