PLAYER'S NAVY CUT - ORIGINAL TRADEMARK ARTWORK

Player's Navy Cut - an original piece of artwork for the ubiquitous Player's Navy Cut logo 'Hero.' Highly detailed, mixed media hand painted artwork, believed to be created in the early 20th century during a packaging redesign for Player's Navy Cut cigarettes. Hand painted by artists at Mardon, Son & Hall in Bristol. Circularly mounted, the piece measures approximately 30 cm x 42 cm, including the mount.

The Player's Navy Cut logo was based on the painting 'Head Of A Soldier' by Arthur David McCormick (1860–1943), which is believed to depict one Thomas Huntley Wood, who served twenty-four years in the Royal Navy in the nineteenth century. The painting was then used as inspiration by Players for their logo and was printed on every cigarette packet for over half a century. The sailor image was known as 'Hero' because of the name on his hat band. The two ships behind him are thought to be HMS Britannia and HMS Dreadnought or possibly HMS Hero.