By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
View ArticlesCurator and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996.
Recommended
J. W. Spear and Sons
Jacob Wolfe Spear founded his company manufacturing fancy goods in 1879 near Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany
RCI Playing Cards
RCI Playing Cards, a 20th century playing-card maker of Minneapolis, 1969-1985.
58: Woolley & Co.
The firm of Thomas Woolley lasted for many years from 1836-1904 in several different guises.
Parker Brothers
Parker Brothers, Salem, Mass., USA.
48: Ferdinand Piatnik & Sons
Ferd. Piatnik produced a very large range of cards with many different standard and non-standard patterns. This is a survey of his standard English output.
C.L. Wüst, 1811 - 1927
SPIELKARTENFABRIEK VON C.L. WÜST, 1811 - 1927. A short history of the Wüst factory by Martin Shaw & Paul Symons.
Empire Card Company: Star Playing Cards
The “Star” special pack of playing cards manufactured by Thomas De la Rue under their Empire Card Co subsidiary, c.1910.
Hudson Industries
Hudson Industries Pty Ltd of Carlton in Victoria was first registered as a printing company in 1920. In the 1940s they registered their own distinctive ace of spades and joker.
John Sands
John Sands had incorporated the earlier playing card manufacturing businesses of Hudson Industries Pty Ltd and Valentine Publishing Co.
The Valentine Group
The Valentine Group, Australia.
Goodall c.1845-60
Goodall’s earliest cards were traditional in appearance but in around 1845 ‘modernised’ courts were designed
British Playing Cards
British Playing Cards Ltd was the predecessor of Universal P.C.Co. and involved Alf Cooke of Leeds and Bemrose of Birmingham, and maybe one or two other printing firms.
36: Minor Makers of the 19th Century
In 19th century England there were a number of makers who produced cards in relatively small quantities.
31: The Not-So-Minor Cardmakers of the 19th Century - Part 2
This page continues the presentation of examples of the major English cardmakers of the 19th century.
29: James English
An overview of the courts and aces of spades produced by James English.
Standard Playing Card Co.
Standard Playing Card Co. started producing playing cards in c.1890 but was in business for only about four years before United States Playing Card Company acquired it in 1894.
American Bank Note Company
The American Bank Note Company was a long-established firm producing national currency, finely engraved stock certificates and other security printing, including postage stamps. They also entered the playing card market c.1908-1914.
J.L. & J. Turnbull
An ‘Old Frizzle’ Ace of Spades was assigned to them in 1833. In 1853 James L. & J. Turnbull were listed as ‘Makers of Playing Cards, Pasteboard, Paper Glossers and Pressers and Drawing Board Makers.
Russell Playing Card Co.
Willis W. Russell started a modest playing card business in Milltown, a small town in northern New Jersey, in 1905.
Thomas Wheeler
Thomas Wheeler appears in directories at 2 Richbell St (1799), 8 Middle Row, Holborn (1801), 118 Holborn Hill (1802-07) and 127 Holborn Hill (1807-21).
Ormond Printing Co. Ltd
During the 1930s The Ormond Printing Co. Ltd produced playing cards for the Irish market with a distinctive ace of spades, joker and court cards. In 1935 the firm was acquired as a manufacturing facility for Waddington’s cards in Eire.
5: De La Rue
In December 1831 Thomas de la Rue was granted his patent for printing playing cards by letterpress.
Irish Playing Card Mfg Co
Irish Playing Card Manufacturing Company.
Igor Domicelj, Buenos Aires, c.1945-55
Igor Domicelj commenced producing playing cards in c.1945. By the early 1950s the range had grown to include Naipes La Estrella, Barcelonesa, Chinita, La Española, Fantasio, Cartas Gitanas, Naipes Tipo Húngaro and a Jewish Quartet game.
G. Berger, Buenos Aires, c.1935-50
Berger also produced a Hungarian-type "Seasons" pack with the brand name "La Estrella" and a six-pointed star logo, which was subsequently used by Domicelj and Vigor, suggesting some sort of business succession.
Van Genechten
A. Van Genechten ran a flourishing business, supplying various kinds of cards both inside the country and abroad including England, Spain, France, Denmark, South-East Asia, China and Japan.
Cappellano S.A. c.1920-c.1985
Originally known as Cappellano Hnos in the 1920s, and undergoing several changes of name and address, the company produced catalan style packs with the brand names "Naipes Triunfo" and "Torcacita" as well as an Anglo-American style pack titled "VELCAP".
Brown & Bigelow
Brown & Bigelow of St Paul, Minnesota, was a leading producer of playing cards in the U.S. from the late 1920s - 1980s.
Thai Playing Cards Manufacturing Factory
Thai Playing Cards Manufacturing Factory
SOIMCA
SOIMCA - Sociedade Impressora Caxiense - is an important playing card manufacturer in Brazil. It was established by Nelson Soares in Caxias do Sul, in the south of Brazil, by 1955.
Rotxotxo Workshop Inventories
Rotxotxo Workshop Inventories, Barcelona, 1660-1800.
Amos Whitney Inventory
Amos Whitney Factory Inventory. What it was like inside an 18th century playing card factory...
Chromolithography
Colour lithography was invented in 1798 by a Bavarian actor and playwright named Alois Senefelder (1771-1834). It is based on the principle that oil and water do not mix.
Dondorf
The luxury playing card factory founded in Frankfurt am Main by Bernhard Dondorf in 1833 existed for 100 years.
Dieudonné & Cie Aluette
Aluette playing cards manufactured by Dieudonné & Cie, Angers (France), early 20th century.
Glanz
Non-Standard playing cards manufactured by Joseph Glanz, Vienna, Austria, 1862.
Litográfica del Perú
Litográfica del Perú S.A. were manufacturers of playing cards in Peru sometime around the decades of the 1970s and/or 1980s.
Western PCC
The Western Playing Card Company was formed in 1927. The exact history and origins are not clear.
Mesmaekers & Moentack, c.1860
The Mesmaekers firm had been established in Turnhout in 1859 by the partnership of Gustaaf Mesmaekers and Louis-François Moentack.
Brotherton, 1789-1840
Brotherton is recorded as operating at 13 Little Britain (London) from 1789-1840. In 1851 his factory was burnt down.