AWH made novelty cards, including "squeaker" cards. These contained a disk you squeeze and a hole at the back for air flow. The first example is an early one, it is in a bad state and
has had the squeaker removed, maybe by the recipient to see how it works; but I like the picture. The 25 in the stamp box will be the postal rate in the country this card was sold in. Perhaps, like the Hutson card below, it didn't qualify for the cheaper postcard postal rate.
The Cat card is in a better state and works.
This card was exported to the USA (unposted versions have "Made in Germany in the stamp box) and sold by The Pittle Supply company, see their advert of 1927 (thanks Jean!). The scanner has caused a "cat in the headlights" effect, the eyes are normally darker and the mesh behind doesn't show.
AWH 03
AWH 111
US advert for squeaker cards, 1927
Hutson Brothers, London
Squeaker cards using the same device were made by other publishers in various countries. The mechanism seens to be the same in all cases so the claim on the HB card "Entire British Production" may or may not be true. This one is in working order, it squeaked as I closed the lid of the scanner. Hutson Brothers published many Donald McGill cards; Ltd = after 1919.
