Victoria Diamond Jubilee
Playing cards commemorating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, manufactured by Chas Goodall & Son, 1897.
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee, 1897
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and the beginning of a new century coincided with a spate of beautifully printed commemorative packs. By this time Goodall & Son was producing a substantial output of ornate and colourful cards and back designs, printed mainly by chromolithography using up to 12 separate colours. Equally colourful ranges of calendars and almanacs appeared, as well as Christmas and New Year greetings cards. Advertising packs were also becoming more popular.
The year 1897 was packed with public spectacle designed to stir the imagination and generate pride. There was dazzling pageantry. The reverse of the commemorative playing cards shows the portrait of Queen Victoria by Bassano along with the legends “Victoria” and “1837-1897”. See the Box►
Above: “Victorian” playing cards commemorating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, manufactured by Chas Goodall & Son, 1897.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
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