Lot 292: German Interwar Reichsmarine Cigarette Cards, "Unsere Reichsmarine", Circa 1930-1935, No's 2-100 Complete Run.

A substantial collection of German tobacco cards, known as Sammelbilder, from the series titled Unsere Reichsmarine: Bilder aus dem Leben der Matrosen (Our Imperial Navy: Pictures from the Life of Sailors). Published by Caid-Zigaretten (CAID-Bilderzentrale, Berlin) between 1930 and 1935, this series provides a comprehensive visual record of the German Reichsmarine during the interwar period. The cards feature printed photographic reproductions of various naval vessels, including battleships, cruisers, and early aircraft carriers, alongside detailed scenes of daily maritime life. Subjects include training exercises, gunnery practice, sailors working on masts and rigging, and lifeboat manoeuvres. One notable card depicts sailors on a capsized hull marked A12. The reverse of each card contains a numbered descriptive text in German corresponding to the image, along with promotional information for the series and the collector’s album. For example, card number 100 transcribes as: UNSERE REICHSMARINE Bilder aus dem Leben der Matrosen. Obwohl an Bord das Infanteriegewehr praktisch kaum zur Verwendung kommt, wird auch in der Unteroffiziersschule noch die Schießausbildung mit dem Gewehr 98 weiter gefördert. Nach dem Schießen reinigen die Unteroffizieranwärter ihre Gewehre. These cards serve as an important historical and photographic record of German naval development and maritime culture between the World Wars.