The World of Playing Cards Logo

The English Playing Card Society

EPCS Logo

Promoting research into English card history since 1984. Members receive the EPCS magazine three times a year.

Join from £10/year

Shuffle Along With History

Published August 17, 2022 Updated January 09, 2026

A brief chronological note linking the introduction of familiar American decks (1848–1908) with contemporaneous events, using examples from Dougherty, Lawrence & Cohen, National and USPC issues.

USAHistoryDoughertyLawrence & CohenNational Card CoUSPCCBicycleCongressSqueezersSteamboatTally-HoTourists
100%
Page 1 of -
Loading...

Loading PDF

Unable to preview PDF directly.

Download PDF to View

Unable to preview PDF directly.

Download PDF to View
avatar
94 Articles

By Rod Starling (1936-2023)

United States • Member since January 09, 2013

Rod Starling was one of the founding members of the 52 Plus Joker card collectors club. He authored many articles for the club's quarterly newsletter, Clear the Decks. His collection encompasses both foreign and American decks. Rod also authored a book titled The Art and Pleasures of Playing Cards.

Activity for Shuffle Along With History

Sign in to comment or save this article.


Related Articles

1885 Bicycle Playing Cards, 1st edition

Bicycle Playing Cards, 1st edition

1st edition of famous Bicycle Playing Cards printed by Russell & Morgan Printing Co., Cincinnati, 18...

1886 Tourists

Tourists

Imagery of slightly eccentric tourists sightseeing in Egypt, or perhaps in the Alps, appears on the ...

1900 Anheuser-Busch Army & Navy

Anheuser-Busch Army & Navy

This deck is commonly known as the “Anheuser-Busch Spanish-American War deck”, issued at the end of ...

1895 Monarch Bicycle

Monarch Bicycle

The company advertised themselves as “The Monarch King of all Cycles” with the lion's head motif ins...

1881 Russell, Morgan & Co

Russell, Morgan & Co

The distinctive Ace of Spades features the Statue of the Goddess of Freedom, based on the bronze sta...

1895 Capitol No.188

Capitol No.188

“Capitol No.188” was first introduced during the Russell & Morgan Printing Company era in c.1886 and...

1888 Cabinet No.707

Cabinet No.707

Russell & Morgan's “Cabinet No.707” brand was first introduced in 1888.

1881 Army & Navy No.303

Army & Navy No.303

Over the years eight different Aces of Spades were used with this brand and the Joker was also modif...

1883 Steamboat No.999

Steamboat No.999

Owing to the romantic appeal of gambling on the Mississippi river many manufacturers added “Steamboa...

1903 Kalamazoo Playing Card Co

Kalamazoo Playing Card Co

This firm commenced producing playing cards with the name Kalamazoo Paper Box & Card Co in 1903.

The Steamboat Brand

The Steamboat Brand

The theme of steamboats navigating up and down the Mississippi also extended to the cotton plantatio...

1890 Steamboats No.99

Steamboats No.99

Steamboats No.99 was one of a number of brands produced by the American Playing Card Co. of Kalamazo...

1903 Steamboats No.66

Steamboats No.66

Steamboats #66 playing cards manufactured by the Kalamazoo Paper Box & Card Co., c.1903.

1885 Superior Steamboats No.9

Superior Steamboats No.9

This deck was of slightly superior quality than it's predecessor “National Steamboats No.9” and is e...

1908 Stage Playing Cards, 1908

Stage Playing Cards, 1908

This beautiful deck features an oval half-tone photo of a theatre star on each card, many of them le...

1885 Tally-Ho

Tally-Ho

The earliest Ace of Spades had the Centre Street address and the Jolly Joker was used until the “Tal...

1878 Triplicate No.18

Triplicate No.18

Dougherty first secured a patent for “Triplicates” in 1876, a novel type of indices with a miniature...

1850 Andrew Dougherty c.1850

Andrew Dougherty c.1850

The idiosyncratic courts used in this deck were used by several other U.S. manufacturers, including ...

1897 Cruiser Playing Cards

Cruiser Playing Cards

Dougherty's ‘Cruiser No.96’, first published c.1897, was dedicated to the U.S. Navy..

1909 Norwood #85, c.1909

Norwood #85, c.1909

The deck features a colourful Ace of Spades and Joker, decorated Aces, unique courts and two beautif...


Sign in with Google