Andrew Dougherty 1848-1930

Andrew Dougherty was born in Donegal in Northern Ireland in 1827. He started his playing card business in New York in 1848. In 1849 he moved to a new address and entered into partnership with two brothers named Coughtry. Coughtry & Dougherty stayed in business until c.1853. Dougherty soon prospered on his own, changing his address several times as he moved into better premises. Dougherty died in 1905 at the age of 78 and his sons continued to run the business in New York until 1907 when the United States Playing Card Company purchased it. USPCC kept the Dougherty business operating independently until 1930 when it was combined with the New York Consolidated Company to form Consolidated-Dougherty Card Co. Inc., a division of USPCC.

Above: cards produced during the Coughtry & Dougherty partnership era, c.1851. The colours appear to have been added by brush and stencil. An illuminated deck was also produced during this era, and which was subsequently published by A. Dougherty in c.1865 with the same courts entitled Great Mogul Playing Cards.

Dougherty first secured a patent for “Triplicates” in 1876, a novel type of indices with a miniature card in the top left-hand corner (and bottom right). These were the equivalent of NYCC's “Squeezers” and kept Dougherty at the forefront of innovation. There are several variations in the size of the “Triplicate” indices, with the smallest being the earliest.

Right: ‘Triplicate #18’ playing cards by Andrew Dougherty, c.1876. The earliest decks contain the ‘Best Bower’ Joker but later editions contain different Jokers and a fancier Ace of Spades.

Dougherty also manufactured Spanish-suited cards for sale in California, Texas, Mexico, South America and even in Europe beginning in 1882. In the early 1900s Dougherty manufactured Austro-Hungarian cards in the 'Seasons' pattern (shown below). Examples of the Netherlands pattern are also known to have been manufactured by Dougherty.

Above: Hungarian No.32 playing cards produced c.1923 by A. Dougherty with German suit signs. The seven of Bells (not shown) is the only card which identifies the maker, apart from the box or wrapper.

Above: No.9352 Squeezers issued by Consolidated-Dougherty Card Co., Inc. c.1947 and imported into Argentina by Casa Bertrand Domec, Buenos Aires, whose details are overprinted on the ace of hearts.   more...

Reference:
Dawson, Tom & Judy: The Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards, U.S. Games Systems Inc., 2000