Mesmaekers & Van Genechten
By Ken Lodge
Member since May 14, 2012
I'm Ken Lodge and have been collecting playing cards since I was about eighteen months old (1945). I am also a trained academic, so I can observe and analyze reasonably well. I've applied these analytical techniques over a long period of time to the study of playing cards and have managed to assemble a large amount of information about them, especially those of the standard English pattern. About Ken Lodge →
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Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds
A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.
Jeu Quatre Empereurs
Brazilian scenic aces with emperors of Brazil, Austria and France and other dignitaries on the court...
Scaramouche
Scaramouche cartes à jouer with designs by Henri Favre, published by Le Triboulet, France.
What can we learn from mini-booklet advertisements?
Over the years I have collected a large number of mini-booklets and pocket guides offering rules and...
The Place of the Fool
This paper considers three questions relating to the Fool-card in the tarot-pack.
Kuhn Khan
There is little information available about the early twentieth century card game Kuhn Kahn. It firs...
Poker Patience
Poker Patience, according to an early 20th century author, was "introduced so recently as the autumn...
Piquet: the game and its artifacts
Piquet may be the oldest card game which is still played today with origins going back to early 16th...
The Personalities and Books which shaped the game of Whist, 1860-1900
All the books described here are from Tony Hall's own collection, put together over years because of...
Majority Calling and Value Bidding in Auction Bridge; a little bit of history
The centuries-old game of Whist mutated through various stages into Contract Bridge as we know it to...
Goodall & Son Patience Boxed Sets
Goodall & Son produced a huge variety of Patience Boxed Sets at different times and for different co...
The Evolution of Whist and Bridge Boxed Sets, 1870s – 1930s
Boxed sets of cards, markers, scorers and rule booklets have been around for many decades. Some of t...
Bezique Markers, 1860-1960
Bezique is a two-player melding and trick-taking game. Dr. Pole introduced Bezique to England in 186...
Bon Gout No.11 with Crimean War aces
Made by Mesmaekers & Moentack of Turnhout.
Neptune No.105 Playing Cards
An exotic pack made by A.Van Genechten of Turnhout
Dutch costume playing cards
Dutch costume playing cards made for the Dutch market in the second half of the 19th century.
Dynastie Royale de Belgique
Dynastie Royale de Belgique by Mesmaekers, 1934.
Bayer
Humorous pharmaceutical deck made by Antoine van Genechten for Bayer, c.1963.
Banque Nationale de Paris, c.1962
Special deck made for La Banque Nationale de Paris by Van Genechten, Turnhout, c.1962.
M/S Kronprins Harald
Souvenir of Jahre Line Ferry M/S Kronprins Harald
Genever Giraf
Dutch pattern advertising deck for Genever Giraf made by Van Genechten in the 1950s.
Domino Cards, c.1890
Domino Cards by Mesmaekers Frères, c.1890
Le Jeu des Alliés
“Le Jeu des Alliés” manufactured by Mesmaekers N.V., Turnhout, 1945.
Anon Spanish Cards c.1875
Spanish-suited playing cards made in Belgium by Mesmaekers Frères, c.1875.
Manuf’d for L.N. Mann
Standard English pattern manuf’d for L.N. Mann by Van Genechten, c.1890.
Tobacco advertising
Advertising decks made in Belgium by A. Van Genechten, 1960s.
West Flanders Souvenir
West Flanders Souvenir pack manufactured in Belgium by Mesmaekers, c.1950.
Chi Chi Pai
Chinese “Chi Chi Pai” Playing Cards by Mesmaekers Frères for Far East market.
Bretagne
Jeu de Cartes “Bretagne” conveying their cultural identity.
34: Design Copies
Some copies of the designs of Goodall and the New York Consolidated Card Co.
Sport No.31
Van Genechten first registered an Ace of Spades for English playing cards in 1885 followed by the ‘S...
L’union fait la force
“L’Union Fait la Force”, sometimes known as “the Allied pack”, has the four suits dedicated to the v...
Shipman’s Guide: early card-packs and the Arcana
In late medieval Europe, among the various forms of card-sets that were tried, two were apparently f...