Our Ship
The “New Game of Our Ship”, published by Chas Goodall & Son, London, 1896.
Goodall’s “Our Ship” card game was first published in 1896. Any number of players could play and the object was to win as many complete sets as possible. The illustrations on the cards capture the toughness and spirit of the Victorian Navy, depicting the era just before steam powered ironclads dominated the oceans, when tall ships still prevailed with their rigging, masts and yards silhouetted against the sky. A selection of officers and petty officers, the cook, doctor, seamen and various hands are all illustrated along with the parrot and ship’s monkey.
Whilst Goodall published a huge range of gaming accessories (Whist, Bridge, Cribbage and Bézique markers, boards, score sheets, card holders, etc) they were not generally known as makers of card games. However, Goodall’s output included a number of interesting and original games for adults and children although their production never equalled that of their main competitor De la Rue.
The set contains 52 cards + a Directions Card→
Above: the “New Game of Our Ship”, published by Chas Goodall & Son, London, 1896. Images courtesy Rex Pitts & Mike Goodall.
REFERENCES:
Goodall, Michael H: Chas Goodall & Son: The Family and The Firm 1820-1922, Woking, 2000
See also: Quaterne, c.1873 Khanhoo, c.1895 • Hindooly, c.1900►
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
United Kingdom • Member since January 30, 2009
Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many. His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service. Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.
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