F.E. Smith, Earl of Birkenhead, 1926 (colour litho)

Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead (1872-1930); British Conservative politician and celebrated lawyer; successfully defended Ethel le Neve against a charge of murder in the 'Crippen' case; Lord Chancellor (1919-22); played a key role in several important legal reforms including the reform of English land law; close friend of Winston Churchill; from the series of 'Straight Line' caricatures produced as cigarette cards by John Player & Sons; the golden age of cigarette cards was from the late 19th century until the Second World War and were immensely popular both as collector items and as a source of instruction, entertainment and amusement before the widespread use of television and radio;