V.C.C. - Sportsmen and Other Notabilities II ~ Unnumbered (4)

1922
VAA-030 Sportsmen and Other Notabilities II ~ Unnumbered
V.C.C., 71 Roman Road, London, E3
72 cards (24 Footballers)

Who are V.C.C.? That's the question Roger Pashby posed. There was speculation a little while ago that it might stand for Victoria Confectionery Co. but there was no real proof that such a company ever existed.
Roger's question set me thinking and I wondered about the old Trade Directories which are often used when researching family history.
I searched the internet to see if there were any such books published in the 1920's. The most recent I could find was from 1915 - Post Office London Directory 1915. Fortunately the volume has been scanned and can be viewed at the Special Collections Online site of the University of Leicester - LINK.
It took a while to find the 'V' section but I eventually made my way to page 603 and found the following entry:

VIENNA CANDY CO. LTD. who(lesale) confectioners, 1A, Ford St. Roman Rd. E

That part of Ford Street no longer exists. The maps are taken from the East London Historical Society website and show the area in 1882 taken from "Reynolds' New Map of London and its Suburbs" alongside a modern map from 2008 and the area as it is today. Ford Street can be seen on the Victorian map but not on the modern map. This street is a long way from V.C.C.'s address at 71 Roman Road, but there are about 7 years between the entry being published in the directory and the cards being issued. If the company was relatively successful they may have needed newer or bigger premises, but that is pure speculation.
They were a limited company, so I presume there are records available somewhere, but I've no idea where to start looking.
Information about the V.C.C. cards can be found here - http://cartophilic-info-exch.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/V.C.C.

UPDATE (05-04-2016 18:21):  Paul Briers has been doing some research on this subject today. These are his findings:

• Vienna Candy Co. - listed in Hughes' Business Directory of London 1921 (see below)
• Vienna Candy Co. - listed in April 1921 Directory
• V.C.C. - not listed in April 1921 Directory
• Vienna Candy Co. - not listed in October 1921 Directory
• V.C.C. - not listed in October 1921 Directory
• Vienna Candy Co. - not listed in 1922 Directory
• V.C.C. - not listed in 1922 Directory

• 1911 census - 71 Roman Road, Bethnal Green, is a shop owned by a Mr Smart.
• 1921 census - to be released in 2021.

UPDATE (06-04-2016 12:50):  Paul Briers has also sent in information from the 1911 Census for 71 Roman Road...

UPDATE (06-04-2016 20:46):  One more bit of information from Paul Briers, the Electoral Register for 1921 showing the occupants of 71 Roman Road at that time.