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John Waddington Ltd

Waddington’s Playing Cards

John Waddington Limited was a leading producer of playing cards and card games in the UK during the period 1922-1995. The company had been founded in the nineteenth century by Mr John Waddington and Wilson Barratt as Waddingtons Ltd.

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100 Pipers 1973

100 Pipers

100 Pipers Scotch Whisky promotional deck, Waddingtons P.C.Co., c.1973. Includes a Tarot pack offer.

14: Back Designs

14: Back Designs

A few examples of the many interesting back designs.

17: Waddington, Including Some of Their Less Common Packs

17: Waddington, Including Some of Their Less Common Packs

John Berry's two-volume work on the Waddington archive and collection is a very comprehensive presentation of the history of the firm, but there are some items missing from it which I include here.

28: How to Analyze and Differentiate Playing Card Plates (De La Rue, Waddington and the Berlin pattern [französisches Bild])

28: How to Analyze and Differentiate Playing Card Plates (De La Rue, Waddington and the Berlin pattern [französisches Bild])

My interest in postage stamp variants led me to apply the same principles to playing cards.

41: A Guide to Dating Playing Cards

41: A Guide to Dating Playing Cards

Dating is a particularly tricky but very interesting problem to tackle and there are many pitfalls.

7: Brands and Packs

7: Brands and Packs

The introduction of brands commenced during the late 19th century as a development of the old qualities: Moguls, Harrys, Highlanders and Merry Andrews.

A Barribal variant for Christmas 1931

A Barribal variant for Christmas

Christmas gift with a difference, made by Waddington’s, Leeds, 1931.

Amalgamated Playing Card Co., Ltd

Amalgamated Playing Card Co., Ltd

Agreement had been reached between Waddington's and De La Rue during the second world war for Waddington's to manufacture playing cards for De la Rue. Thus the Amalgamated Playing Card Company was born but it remained an unofficial name for many years.

Artex No.111 1962

Artex No.111

No.111 by Artex is a copy of Waddingtons standard designs, c1962.

Barribal patience 1929

Barribal patience

Waddington’s Patience Cards from the Barribal Series, c.1929.

Barribal Series 1933

Barribal Series

William H. Barribal (1873 - 1956) was a London artist who created the Waddingtons 'Barribal' playing cards series, which are avidly collected today.

Beautiful Britain Series

Beautiful Britain Series

The ‘Beautiful Britain’ series depicting seaside and country resorts was produced by John Waddington Ltd for the Great Western Railway and London and North Eastern Railway between 1924-1939.

Beaver! 1927

Beaver!

The Game of Beaver designed by G E Studdy and published by John Waddington Ltd in 1927.

Bobs y’r Uncle 1935

Bobs y’r Uncle

“Bobs y'r Uncle” nursery rhyme card game designed by Frank H. Simpson for John Waddington Ltd. in 1935.

Cheers & Tears 1963

Cheers & Tears

Cheers & Tears by John Waddington Ltd, 1963.

Christmas 1980 playing cards 1980

Christmas 1980 playing cards

Festive courts on a Waddingtons pack designed to celebrate Christmas 1980.

Cir-Q-Lar 1929

Cir-Q-Lar

Cir-Q-Lar Playing Cards. In 1929 John Waddington Ltd commenced the production of circular cards and these were very popular.

Collectors pack of Antiques 1980

Collectors pack of Antiques

Collectors pack of Antiques playing cards published by Collectors Cards, Abertillery, South Wales, c.1980.

Commemorative Olympic Playing Cards 1980

Commemorative Olympic Playing Cards

Commemorative Olympic Playing Cards produced by Waddingtons exclusively for Stanley Gibbons Antiquarian, 1980.

Crown the Queen 1953

Crown the Queen

Crown the Queen card game invented by Elaine Burton, c.1953.