Shop's burning ambition to fill display shelves

Preedy's Tobacconist Shop, which had more than 40 branches across the Midlands, will open its doors at the attraction in Dudley next summer.

With their jars of tobacco, racks of pipes and tins of cigars alongside trays of toffee and sticks of liquorice, the shops delivered an assault on the senses.

Now the museum is appealing for people to come forward with smoking paraphernalia from between 1935 and 1939 to help provide a peep into the past.

Assistant curator Stephen Howard said: "To help ensure the accurate reconstruction of an important part of our social history we are keen to hear from anyone with connections to the industry or with access to memorabilia.

"We are looking for display fixtures for pipes, vintage tobacco tins in good condition, cigarette packets of the era such as Du Maurier, Passing Clouds, Woodbine, Park Drive, Weights, Cinderella, Navy Cut and Senior Service, snuff boxes, point of sale cards, posters and cigarette cards.

"We all know the great damage that cigarettes do to our health but it is important that the museum truly reflects the times and the importance of smoking.

"Cigarettes had a relatively clean image, with little awareness of links with heart and lung disease."

In the 1930s smoking was considered a glamorous and universal occupation and 75 per cent of the population smoked.

Loose tobacco was sold at three and four pence an ounce and cigarettes were cheap with a packet of five Woodbines costing as little as tuppence – the price of a newspaper.

Preedy's will form part of the new 1930s high street, called Old Birmingham Road, which also includes Hobbs fish and chip shop.

Anyone who can help the museum with its search can contact Mr Howard on stephenh@bclm.co.uk to make an appointment.