wen Jones (1809-1874) was a Welsh architect and interior designer. After a European tour which led him to sketch and paint the Alhambra, the Moorish palace at Granada, his attempts to get these lithographed led him to set up a printing establishment. Apart from the Plans, Elevations, Sections and Details of the Alhambra (1836), which was the first English chromo-lithographed work, Jones is best known for his Grammar of Ornament (1856) which came to be regarded as a masterpiece, but he specialised as a colour printer in the illuminated gift book beloved by the Victorians.

Owen Jones started working for Thomas De La Rue in 1844, who was at that time keen to have the best artists working for him. In the ensuing twenty years Jones created 173 different playing card designs varying from fruit-and-flower themes to Chinese and Arabesque. Owen Jones played a prominent part in the lives of three generations of De La Rues - Thomas, assisting Warren and William Frederick, and finally Warren's son, the eccentric Warren William, who was sent to him to learn lithography. Owen Jones was appointed superintendent of works for the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition. Louis Cohen, who founded New York playing card maker Lawrence & Cohen, also shared the services of Owen Jones, whose name appeared on their ace of spades in c.1865.

Charles Dickens was delighted with the 'poetry of card-making', the 'graceful designs' and 'dainty little pictures' by Owen Jones which appeared on the firm's playing cards for members of the Royal family. Jones-designed cards were expensive. De La Rue advertised the 'Royal Illuminated Playing Cards' in an 1851 Illustrated London News at 'Two Guineas the Set of four patterns or singly 10s 6d the pack'. The Queen's design depicts roses and hawthorn. Prince Albert's consist of prickly holly, ivy and oak. The Prince of Wales' design depicts daisies and fuchsias.