Playing Card Manufacturers
When movies, radio and television first appeared playing card manufacturers were worried. But people still had plenty of leisure time and card playing continued to increase. Today’s electronic devices, computers, the Internet and online gaming have changed everything and many former manufacturers have closed down or merged with larger corporations. The older manufacturers are now a reminder of bygone days.
21: Belgian Makers: Brepols and Biermans
Brepols started making playing cards in 1826, although he had been in the printing trade since 1800. In 1833 the firm was called Brepols & Dierckx (the former's son-in-law). Biermans (1875-1970) was a relatively late arrival on the Turnhout playing card scene.
22: Belgian Makers: Van Genechten
Van Genechten started making playing cards in c.1840 and continued until the founding of Carta Mundi in 1970.
23: Belgian Makers: Mesmaekers
Gustaaf Mesmaekers founded his business in 1859 in association with Louis-François Moentack, who left the business in 1862.
29: James English
An overview of the courts and aces of spades produced by James English.
38: Peter Gurney and Other 20th Century Minor Makers
Gurney was not the only printer who went briefly into the playing card business during the twentieth century.
42: Andrew Dougherty
Andrew Dougherty was one of the biggest American card-makers in the 19th century.
43: The United States Playing Card Co.
The United States Playing Card Co. (USPCC) represents an amalgamation of all the major American card-makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
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.
5: De La Rue
In December 1831 Thomas de la Rue was granted his patent for printing playing cards by letterpress.
58: Woolley & Co.
The firm of Thomas Woolley lasted for many years from 1836-1904 in several different guises.
Alf Cooke’s Playing Cards
Alf Cooke was an important producer of playing cards and card games in the UK during the period 1920-1970.
Andersons of Edinburgh
Andersons of Edinburgh began publishing playing cards in the late 1920s and several brands are known, including ‘Clan Tartan’, ‘Masquerade’ and ‘Thistle’
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.
Ariel Productions Ltd
The founder of Ariel Productions, Philip Marx, was a prolific publisher of children’s books and comics towards the end of and just after the Second World War.
ARRCO
ARRCO Playing Card Co., Chicago, c.1935 - c.1970s.
Astra Games
Astra Games was a subsidiary of the McCorquodale Group of Companies, producing playing cards during the period 1982-87.
Atlantic Playing Card Co
Atlantic Playing Card Co., Inc. promoted Bridge Ensemble boxes and companion accessories.
Bancks Brothers
The 'Old Frizzle' Ace of Spades shows the duty paid as one shilling, and the manufacturer's name is engraved at the bottom of the ace.
Berkshire Printing Co.
The company was founded in 1908 as the printing division of the Brooke Bond Tea Company in Reading.
Bertrand Domec, Buenos Aires 1904-1970
Bertrand Domec was an importer of playing cards into Argentina, 1904-1970.
Brotherton, 1789-1840
Brotherton is recorded as operating at 13 Little Britain (London) from 1789-1840. In 1851 his factory was burnt down.
Brown & Bigelow
Brown & Bigelow of St Paul, Minnesota, was a leading producer of playing cards in the U.S. from the late 1920s - 1980s.
C. Della Penna & Cía, Bs Aires, c.1930-1978
C. Della Penna S.A. playing card manufacturer and publisher, Buenos Aires, c.1930-1978.
C.L. Wüst, 1811 - 1927
SPIELKARTENFABRIEK VON C.L. WÜST, 1811 - 1927. A short history of the Wüst factory by Martin Shaw & Paul Symons.
C.W. Faulkner
C. W. Faulkner & Co Ltd, London, an important publisher of games, pictorial souvenirs, children’s books, and postcards.
Cappellano Hnos c.1920-80
Originally known as Cappellano Hnos in the 1920s, over the years the company underwent several changes of name and address.
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".
Carta Mundi
Carta Mundi was founded in Turnhout on 27 June 1970 by pooling the production and sales facilities of the three surviving companies: Brepols, Van Genechten and Leonard Biermans.
Chad Valley Co. Ltd
Chad Valley Co. Ltd (incorporating Johnson Brothers (Harborne) Ltd, the long-established UK brand bought by Woolworths in 1988 and now sold at Argos.
Chas Goodall and Son 1820-1922
Today nothing remains of Charles Goodall's Camden Works, where three-quarters of the playing cards printed in Britain were produced.
Chiefton Products Ltd
Chiefton Products Ltd, toy manufacturers, Pauls Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1QT.
Cía General Fabril Financiera S.A.
Founded in 1889 as Compañía General de Fósforos, and favoured by certain economic factors, the firm provided a range of general printing and publishing services, with interests in textiles and other industrial processes. In 1929 the firm became known as Compañía General Fabril Financiera S.A.
Cía Gral de Fósforos
Compañía General de Fósforos Montevideana, founded in 1893.
Clifford Toys
Clifford Toys is a brand name of F. Levy & Co., Ltd, London, sellers of toys and fancy goods.
Cromy card games
Juegos de Cartas Cromy card games made in Argentina 1983-1995
CWS Printing Works
The C.W.S. Printing Works at Longsight, Manchester, was the Co-operative Wholesale Society's printing division, set up to print labels and packaging for their range of products.
Daveluy
Daveluy produced card games between c.1840 and 1890. Many of his playing cards have historical connotations and show figures with a landscape background.
De La Rue
De La Rue introduced letter-press printing into playing card production and his patent was granted in 1831. He produced his first playing cards in 1832.
Denbro (Denny Brothers)
Denbro (Denny Brothers) c.1975-79
Dondorf
The luxury playing card factory founded in Frankfurt am Main by Bernhard Dondorf in 1833 existed for 100 years.
Dubois
Dubois card makers from Liège in the Walloon Region of Belgium.
E. Flaiban - Paisanito S.R.L.
E. Flaiban - Paisanito, Buenos Aires c.1953.
Éditions Dusserre, Paris
Éditions Dusserre, Paris.
Éditions Philibert
Éditions Philibert published an outstanding series of exotic, artistic playing cards in Paris from 1954 to 1960
Editorial Gráfica Flores, c.1970-90
Editorial Gráfica Flores S.A. were manufacturers of playing cards and card games around c.1970-90.
Ernesto Flaiban, Buenos Aires
Ernesto Flaiban, Buenos Aires, 1942-1970.
Ferd. Piatnik & Söhne
Ferdinand Piatnik was born in Ofen on October 14, 1819.
Francisco Girbau & Cia, Buenos Aires
Francisco Girbau & Cia, Buenos Aires, c.1890-1935
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.
Gráfica 2001
Gráfica 2001 (Naipes ‘La Española’), successors to Naipes Vigor founded in 1945.
Gráfica S.A., Bs Aires
Gráfica S.A. of Buenos Aires has produced a number of brands using the Catalan pattern.
Hardy
The Hardy family of playing card manufacturers began with Henry Hardy (1784-89) and continued through to Hardy & Sons who finally closed down in c.1840.
Heraclio Fournier S.A.
Founded in 1868, today it is part of Cartamundi.
Hija de B Fournier
Having started out as Fournier Hermanos, Burgos in 1860, the company remained in the Fournier family undergoing several changes of name and finally becoming Hija de B. Fournier sometime around 1900.
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.
Hunt & Sons, 1820-1849
Hunt & Sons (1820-1849) was the first maker to modernise the court card designs with a complete re-drawing.
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.
Industria Gráfica Pesout
Coimexpor Spanish-suited playing cards by Industria Gráfica Pesout, S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina, c.2008.
Irish Playing Card Mfg Co
Irish Playing Card Manufacturing Company.
J. W. Spear and Sons
Jacob Wolfe Spear founded his company manufacturing fancy goods in 1879 near Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany
Japanese Playing Cards
Japanese playing cards include: 'Awase' or 'matching pairs' cards and Portuguese or Spanish-derived 'Dragon' type cards.
Jaques’ Games
John Jaques & Son (established in 1795) published a large range of popular parlour games, many of which have become classics.
John Sands
John Sands had incorporated the earlier playing card manufacturing businesses of Hudson Industries Pty Ltd and Valentine Publishing Co.
Joker S.A.
Playing cards manufactured by Joker S.A.
Juan Roura, Barcelona (1872 - 1962)
Juan Roura produced a range of popular designs including Catalán, Castilian and Cádiz patterns for domestic use exportation.
Justo Rodero e Hijos
Justo Rodero e Hijos, playing card manufacturer in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Kalamazoo Playing Card Co
This firm commenced producing playing cards with the name Kalamazoo Paper Box & Card Co in 1903.
Karl Gerich
Karl Gerich's interest in playing-card production came to the fore while studying at Bath Academy of Art from 1975. Karl produced a unique range of hand-made playing cards during the period 1980-1998.
Kimberley
Kimberley’s Royal National Patriotic playing cards, c.1892-1905.
Kum-Bak Sports, Toys & Games
Kum-Bak Sports, Toys & Games MFG Co., Ltd, London S.E.11
La Cubana, S.A.
La Cubana were successors to P. Munguia, who were founded in 1872. The company closed n 1995 bringing to a close Mexico's longest standing playing-card factory.
Legends Playing Cards
Legends Playing Card Company (founded 2013) aspires to print the highest quality playing cards and packaging in the world.
Léonard Biermans, Turnhout
Léonard Biermans had been employed by Brepols from 1871-1874 before opening his own playing card factory in 1875.
Litografía Fabbri, Lima, Peru, c.1900-20
Litografía Fabbri, Lima, Peru, c.1900-20, printers of cigarette insert cards for tobacco companies.
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.
Luis A. Fourvel
The Fourvel family was of French origin but had settled in Spain during the XIX century. In the 1930s Luis Fourvel went to Argentina and established a printing business which flourished until the early 60s.
Mardon, Son & Hall of Bristol, branch of the Imperial Tobacco Company
A division of Imperial Tobacco, they appear to have made cards almost exclusively for the cigarette token market, which flourished during the 1930s.
Mas Reynals - Varitemas S.L.
Mas-Reynals was founded in 1989 by Miguel Mas Reynals. Since 2003 the firm trades as Varitemas S.L.
Multum in Parvo Co., Ltd
Multum in Parvo published a range of indoor games during the period from 1884-1927.
Naipes Comas
Naipes Comas 1797-1992.
Naipes La Banca
Naipes La Banca, Argentina c.1970-85
Naipes Minifusor
Difusora S.A is a distributor of smokers' materials. Around 1970-80 they also distributed "Minifusor" playing cards.
Naipes Vigor S.R.L.
VIGOR S.R.L (1955 - c1975) manufactured a range of playing cards and card games, including Chinita, La Estrella, Barcelonesa, La Española, Fantasio, Las Rosas, Pokerin, Cartas Gitanas and a Hungarian Seasons pack.
National Card Co.
The National Card Co. was formed in c.1886 by Samuel J Murray, who as a young man had worked in England in Charles Goodall's playing card factory.
New York Consolidated Card Company
The New York Consolidated Card Company was formed in 1871 by the merging of Lawrence & Cohen, Samuel Hart & Co and John J. Levy.
O. Gibert, Paris c.1840-60
Gibert was a master card-maker whose fashionable playing cards were of a very high standard.
Oppenheimer und Sulzbacher
Card games produced in Germany by Oppenheimer und Sulzbacher.
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.
Parker Brothers
Parker Brothers, Salem, Mass., USA.
Pasatiempos Gallo
Following their acquisition of Clemente Jacques y Cia in 1967, the playing card business was taken over by Pasatiempos Gallo S.A., which in 1990 became Pasatiempos Gallo S.A. de C.V.
Pedro Bosio
Cards of the Spanish National Pattern 'Money Bag' type manufactured by Pedro Bosio, Genova (Italy) probably during the 18th century and for export to Spain or South America.
Playing Cards by Compañia General de Fósforos
Playing Cards by Compañia General de Fósforos, Bs. As. (founded 1888).
Porterprint Ltd
Porterprint was a printing business based in Leeds (UK) which manufactured playing cards during the period c.1930-1980.
Real Fábrica de Macharaviaya
This is the official Spanish National pattern of the 18th century. Design and production was controlled from Madrid as a source of national or regional revenue. The factory was located in the town of Macharaviaya, in the province of Málaga.
Reed Paper Products
Reed Paper Products of Waterloo manufactured playing cards until the late 1970s.
Reynolds c.1809-1885
Joseph Reynolds had been producing playing cards in the traditional method since c.1809.
Russell Playing Card Co.
Willis W. Russell started a modest playing card business in Milltown, a small town in northern New Jersey, in 1905.
Russell, Morgan & Co
The distinctive Ace of Spades features the Statue of the Goddess of Freedom, based on the bronze statue designed by Thomas Crawford (1814-1857) that, since 1863, has crowned the dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Samuel Hart, 1846-1871
Samuel Hart was a prolific manufacturer of playing cards who commenced business sometime around 1845 in Philadelphia. He had previously worked for L.I. Cohen.
Simeon Durá 1871-1940
Simeon Durá of Valencia was one of Spain's most distinguished playing card manufacturers, flourishing between 1871-c.1940.
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.
Spicer & Detmold
Spicer & Detmold (1922-48) produced a lot of pictorial back designs. Most decks with picture backs were printed in 4 colours.
Stancraft
Stancraft Playing Cards were manufactured by Brown & Bigelow of whom they were a subsidiary.
TDC Inc.
“TDC Inc.: a 20th Century American Playing Card Maker” by Michael Cooper.
Thai Playing Cards Manufacturing Factory
Thai Playing Cards Manufacturing Factory was established in 1938 as part of the government Excise Department.
The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards
The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards was founded by Royal Charter in 1628.
Thomas Creswick
Thomas Creswick was a paper-maker and wholesale stationer. Playing cards were produced from c.1820 onwards.
Tower Press children’s card games
A series of card games for children published by Tower Press during the 1950s which evoke the optimism and love of fun of that era.
USPCC
Over the years the pressures of competition and other market forces have led to many smaller manufacturers being taken over by larger ones. The outcome is that the U.S.P.C.C. is now the largest manufacturer in the United States.
Valentine’s Games
Valentine & Sons Ltd, Dundee & London, were greeting card and book publishers who also produced playing cards and party games during the early 20th century.
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.
W. H. Willis & Co
Willis & Company was formed in 1869, having been preceded by Charles Steer at the same address (80 Long Acre, London), who also manufactured playing cards during the 1850s and 60s.
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.
Waddy Productions
Waddy Productions Ltd was a member of the giant Amalgamated Press group and only published card games for a short period in the 1930s.
Warren Paper Products
Warren Paper Products Co., Lafayette, Indiana, publishers of Built-Rite toys, games and puzzles.
William Detmold Limited
William Detmold Limited, manufacturers of playing cards.
Woodpecker Press Ltd
Woodpecker Press is believed to have started up in 1987 as a spin-off from the closure of Astra Games.