Iso sources original vintage cigarette cards from all over the UK - from antique markets and charity shops to online collectors, vintage fairs and little “finders keepers” corners she stumbles across. Sometimes spending hours searching with a specific idea or theme in mind, and other times a particular card simply catches her eye and inspires an entirely new collection.

Originally tucked inside cigarette packets as a way to encourage repeat purchases, these tiny cards became hugely collectible, with different cigarette brands releasing themed series ranging from racehorses and wildlife to film stars and travel. On the reverse of each card is usually a fascinating little piece of history connected to the image - for example, Iso's cowboy pieces are painted onto vintage racehorse cards, which detail the horse’s racing history, owners and wins on the back. 

Iso releases cigarette card works as small limited edition drops, each collection available on a first come, first served basis. Every series varies in price depending on how rare or difficult the cards were to source, as well as the time involved in creating each piece. All illustrations are hand-painted in acrylic after being delicately mounted onto heavyweight deckled-edge paper. Iso intentionally cuts out behind where the card sits, so the reverse of the original cigarette card remains visible, allowing you to read and appreciate the history behind each piece if you wish to.

These generally come unframed - we recommend either a floated style to showcase the torn edge of the paper, or an oversized large mount with colours chosen to complement the artwork itself.

If you’d like to hear about future drops before they are released, it’s worth following along on Instagram or signing up to my mailing list for early access and release announcements.