Frozen in time: Workmen renovating the Queen?s apartments in Buckingham Palace

[Kritter]

Buckingham Palace revamp uncovers Victorian-era clipping | Daily Mail Online

The fascinating remnants of life in Buckingham Palace in the Victorian era have been found under the floorboards of the Queen's private apartments during rewiring work.

Electricians working on a ?369m rewiring project discovered a discarded scrap of newspaper from November 7 1889 - days before the first jukebox was unveiled.

The page from the Evening Standard discusses the merits of a collection of letters from the Earl of Chesterfield.

Alongside the newspapers, were several cigarette packets from the popular 19th century brands Player's Navy Cut, Woodbine, and Piccadilly.

It is believed that the items were discarded by courtiers to Queen Victoria.

[TLLK]

"This Old House" but on a much, much larger scale. I find these types of renovation shows to be fascinating and often times newspaper was used as a form of inexpensive insulation so to find clippings from the 19th century has historic value IMO. I wouldn't be surprised if there is an exhibition of the items discovered at a later date.

[Curryong]

It is fascinating stuff isn't it? I have to say though, that as far as the cigarette packets go I really can't see these particular brands being a courtier's  choice, nor that of any Royal vistors like the Kaiser.

Players Navy Cut went on being manufactured for a very long time. I can actually remember the cigarettes  with the bearded Jack Tar on the front of the packet being sold at tobacconists in my childhood. It was the tobacco of choice of the British working man, as was the Woodbines brand. I can imagine workmen at BP doing some repairs in the 1890s/early 1900s and dropping the empty packets through the floorboards.

Many upperclass people liked the small, thin Turkish cigarettes, (later they had a gold coloured tip,) or special mixes made for them by West End firms like Dunhills. Most men of the class who served Queen Victoria and the few women who smoked (considered quite daring in the 1890s) had gold or silver cigarette cases and wouldn't be carrying around cigarette packets.

[TLLK]

@Curryong-I have read that cigarettes were routinely added to the care packages for WWI and WWII service men. Amazing to think of the impact that plant has had on the world!

Can't wait to discover what else will be found as they continue the work on BP.