Playing Cards from U.S.A.

The earliest playing cards to reach America were brought by the Spaniards  learn more →   Legends tell how sailors with Columbus, who were inveterate gamblers, threw their cards overboard in superstitious terror upon encountering storms, but later, on dry land, they regretted their rashness and so had to make new cards for themselves out of leaves. Cards of deerskin or sheepskin, painted after the manner of the old Spanish cards, have been found among the Indians of the Southwest  learn more →

Most of the early North American Colonists were British subjects who depended on playing cards imported from England to play with. Cards found their way into Puritan New England and a Plymouth Colony record of 1633 states that several persons were fined two pounds each for card-playing. In 1656 there is a Plymouth Colony law fixing the penalty for card-playing at forty shillings for adults; children and servants ‘to bee corrected att the discretion of theire parents or masters and for the second offence to bee publickly whipt.’ In the same year, in New Amsterdam, playing at tric-trac during the time of the divine service is prohibited.

In most colonies a ship from England would bring supplies of almost everything which required some skill in manufacture. During the 18th century playing cards were sold by stationers, Post Offices, etc., and advertised in newspapers. Around this time playing cards were frequently used for secondary purposes such as invitations, admission cards or visiting cards, and some of the earliest cards have survived in this manner.

Above: Ace of Spades by Jazaniah Ford, c.1824, in honour of General Lafayette's visit to America. The engraved Ace shows a portrait medallion of Lafayette, with an eagle above, a bough of bay and another of oak, the flag, cannon and the maker's name below.

Cards Made in U.S.A.

The actual manufacture of playing cards in North America is reckoned to have begun during the second half of the 18th century, although it is possible that general printers or bookbinders were producing cards before then. Edward Ryves, James Robertson, Jazaniah Ford, born in Milton (Massachusetts) in 1757, Amos Whitney, born in 1766, Thomas Crehore, born in 1769 and James Y. Humphreys of Philadelphia were early card-makers. There was little difference between the early home-produced decks and those imported from England  (see example →). Some examples of cards manufactured by the early pioneers are represented here:

Standard cards aside, the non-standard cards of the United States have been many and varied. American card-makers first introduced the Joker sometime during the 1860s. The large and growing number of advertising decks, Transformation Cards, War cards, Political and Patriotic cards, Historical decks, Tarot and Fortune Telling cards, Railroad Souvenir decks, Pictorial decks, Exposition and World's Fair cards, children's card games and other Novelty playing cards are the true strength of North American playing card production. It would be impossible to fully represent them all, but a tiny sampling is shown here.

Kem plastic playing cards • Victor Mauger • Bicycle No.808 • Congress No.606 • Tigers No.101 • World's Fair Souvenir • Vanity Fair Transformation • Cuba Souvenir • Historic Boston • Peru Souvenir • E.E. Fairchild Co • Brown & Bigelow • Western P.C.Co • Inky-Dinky

References:

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

Hargrave, Catherine Perry: A History of Playing Cards and a Bibliography of Cards and Gaming, Dover Publications, New York, 1966