Smokers' Items, Part III
by Mark A. Nye
Issue No. 256 - August 1994
The catalog Cambridge issued on January 1, 1940 contained four pages of smokers' items. The first two pages pictured nothing but ash trays; the third, cigarette boxes; and the fourth, cigarette holders. None of the items on these pages were new, having appeared in previous catalogs or been in production before January 1940. Several were making their first catalog appearances, these being the Pristine ash trays on page 423. The 1371 hound is shown as a "dog cigarette holder." This is the piece more commonly known as the bridge hound.
All the 1940 smokers' items except the 1371 dog came in Crystal. According to the 1940 price list, the dog was then available only in Amber, Forest Green, Ebony and Crown Tuscan.
Other smokers' items available from the 1940 catalog in Amber were: the Nos. 388, 390 and 391 ash trays, the 3011 figure ash tray, the 3011 figure stem cigarette box and cover, the top hat cigarette holder, and four cigarette holders with ash tray feet, Nos. 1066 oval, 3011 figure stem, 3400/144 and 3500/90.
Smokers who preferred Forest Green items had a limited choice. The only pieces offered in this color, besides the hound, were the three 3011 figure stem items and Nos. 3400/144 and 3500/90 cigarette holders with ash tray feet. In Royal Blue there was available the No. 388 ash tray, the three figure stems, the top hat cigarette holder and all of the cigarette holders with ash tray feet except the Mt. Vernon and the Pristine 752. The use of Amethyst was limited to the same items offered in Forest Green. All of the Caprice items came in Moonlight. In addition, the 1501 ash tray, Sea Shell 34 and Pristine 721 were made in Moonlight as well as LaRosa, Mocha and Pistachio. Three ash trays, Nos. 388, 390 and 391, came in Ebony during 1940 as did the 1371 dog. Prominent among the items offered in Carmen are the figure stem pieces. Also produced in Carmen were two Gadroon ash trays, Nos. 124 and 127, the Gadroon cigarette holder with ash tray foot and the Mt. Vernon 66 round cigarette holder with ash tray foot.
The "Stackaway" ash tray set consisting of four trays on a chrome pedestal came in three color combinations. First was an all Crystal set. The second, known as a Rainbow Set, had one each in Amber, Royal Blue, Forest Green and Amethyst. The third, designated Varitone, had an ash tray in each of four colors, Mocha, LoRosa, Moonlight and Pistachio.
The 1500 "Ace" set and the Pristine 728 set were listed in all crystal or in Varitone sets. The 207/34 five piece set came with a Moonlight cigarette box and cover and a Varitone ash tray set.
Reprinted below are three of the four referenced catalog pages. The fourth will be found in the December 1993 issue with Part II of this series.
