As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve managed to get hold of a copy of ‘A Pinch Of Snuff’, which is sometimes available via sources I’ve listed in the Snuff Books section of the site.

A Pinch Of Snuff gives details of signs and figures used by tobacconists in the 1840’s to advertise their wares.

It describes The Highlander figure, and then goes on to describe the below image which was used by a tobacconist in Bridgewater. This was also used on wrapping paper with the description as below.

The sign in my opinion is one of the best snuff shop signs that I’ve seen.

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A Pinch Of Snuff By Dean Snift of Brazen-Nose, published in 1840.

I’ve been on the lookout for ‘A Pinch Of Snuff’, (no, not the nasal snuff variety, but this time in book format!) for several months now. If you want to see a list of snuff related books, please check the Snuff Books section.

A Pinch Of Snuff is according to the inside cover, ‘Composed of Curious particulars and original anecdotes of snuff taking; as well as a review of snuff, snuff boxes, snuff shops, snuff takers and snuff papers; with the moral and physical effects of snuff.’

A Pinch Of Snuff was published in 1840 and sometimes can be found in the ebay snuff category or by searching through the amazon snuff books list.

I had been ‘pipped to the post’ on this particular snuff book on ebay snuff auctions several times, so set my maximum spend limit at £35.00.

I eventually ‘won’ (the word ‘won’ always makes me smile when using ebay - it’s almost like they want you to forget that you’ve paid hard earned cash for a item - ’whoo-hoo… I won… I WON!’) A Pinch Of Snuff at £31.34 plus £1.99 postage and packing, making a grand total of all the ‘threes’… To see the seller’s description whilst it’s still live click here.

My copy of A Pinch Of Snuff is a bit battered and dog eared - as you would expect for a book published in the 1840’s; it’s missing the fabric cover on the front and back, a few pages are stained, it has hand written notes in pencil and pen on a few pages and some of these have been rubbed out… I love it!

Inside cover of my copy of A Pinch Of Snuff.

The opening introduction is ‘To The Refined And Social Snuff Taker’; through the introduction, the author welcomes me to the world of snuff taking and makes me feel like I’m a member of an exclusive snuff taker’s club.

A Pinch Of Snuff has 152 pages of written word and few extra ‘blanks’ either side at the begining and end. The book has numerous illustrations and is divided up into the following sections and chapters;

Introduction
The Refined And Social Snuff-Taker.

A Pinch Of Snuff
Man A Snuffing Animal, Lady Snuffers, Introduction Of Tobacco (Nicot, Raleigh, Drake), The Pouncet Box, Sneezing Powder, Louis XIV, Papal Persecution Of Snuff, Restoration, Anne To George Era.

The Influence Of Snuff
Remedy For Headache And Weak Sight, Perfumed Snuff Injurious, Sneezing, Sociability, Sterne, Swift, Poetic Inspirations, Song.

Varieties Of Snuff
Rappee, Carotte, Montagne, Etrenne, Bureau, Bolangaro, Martinique, Princeza, Welsh, LuddyFoot’s Irish Blackguard, Lambkin’s Cork, Paris, Facon De Paris, Scotch, Masulipatam, Cephalic, Grimstone’s Eye Snuff, Lord Rochester, Natchitoches, Mathews, Hardham’s 37, Violet Strasburg, Queen Charlotte, Gillespie, Prince’s Mixture, Macouba, Latakia, Anstruther And Norcot Mixtures, Varieties, Snuff Monopoly In France, Process Of Snuff Making, Dutch And English Tobacco Merchants, Jesuits’ Snuff, Misstatements Corrected, A Snuff Song.

Snuff Shops, Signs And Papers
Fribourg And Treyer, Fribourg And Pontet, Pontet Junior, Watton, Harrison, The Skinners, Kilpack, Procter, Currey, Taylor, Beynon And Stocken, Hudson, Arnet, Pain, Edwards, Highlanders, Black Boys, Female Figure, Quaint Device, Snuff Paper, Charades.

Snuff Boxes
Inappropriate Receptacles, French Taste, Chinese Fox Hunt, Laurence Kirk, James Sandy, Cumnoc, Curious Boxes, Sarcophagus, Robert Burns, William Pitt, Duke Of Gloucester, Napoleon And Louis XVIII, Gold Wicker, Diamonds, Hogarth, Mulberry Tree, Platoff, Moorish Box, Nelson’s Coffin, Emperor Of Austria, Ninety-Second Mull, Song.

Snuff Taking
Snuff A Tell-Tale, Duchesse De Berri, Nose Hunger, Stolen Pinch, Pledging In Snuff, Sneezing, Catullus, Cowley, An-Upset, Robbery, Madness, Execution, How To Smooth Snuff, Stage Snuff, Test Of Love, A Taker’s Courtesy, Ma Tabatiera, Longevity, A Black Pinch, Surrender To Snuff, Pupil’s Bribery, A Disinfector, Bloomfield, Late Sittings, Deliberate Aim, Extract, Airing Snuff, Attitiudes, Noses “Bottle, Grecian, Snub or Roman”, The Handkerchief, Patterns, A Slip Of The Tongue.

Snuff Takers
George IV, King Of Hanover, Dukes Of Cambridge and Sussex, Princess Hesse Homburg, Dukes Of Devonshire And Buccleuch, Marquis Of Ely, Lords Alvanley, Airlie, Arbuthnot, Panmure and Abercrombie, Louis XVIII, Duke Of Orleans, Frederick The Great, Mr’s Siddons, John Kemble, Brummel, Sir Henry Cooke, Theatrical Touchstone, Dramatic Sensor, Steevens The Commentator, Count Boralowski, Donald Macpherson, Earl Of Harrington, Prince Talleyrand, Prince Metternich, Napoleon, Lady Holland, Acrostic.

The book finishes with a acrostic snuff poem titled My Pinch Of Snuff, which I will share at a later date.

Well that’s about it for my most recently purchased snuff book. I will add snippets from A Pinch Of Snuff occasionally to this news blog.

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