De La Rue Pocket Guides
The 19th Century saw the production, by all of the major companies, of pocket guides or “mini-books” on every type of game.
By Tony Hall
United Kingdom • Member since January 30, 2015
I started my interest in card games about 70 years ago, playing cribbage with my grandfather. Collecting card game materials started 50 years or so later, when time permitted. One cribbage board was a memory; two became the start of a collection currently exceeding 150!
Once interest in the social history of card games was sparked, I bought a wooden whist marker from the 1880s which was ingenious in design and unbelievably tactile. One lead to two and there was no stopping.
What happened thereafter is reflected in my articles and downloads on this site, for which I will be eternally grateful.
Related Articles
Solo Whist
A distinctive British trick-taking game that emerged in the mid-19th century.
The Molassine Company and its link to Whist and Bridge
A savvy marketing strategy blending Victorian decorative design with Edwardian practicality.
Double Dummy Bridge
In the early 20th century several firms began to promote whist or bridge as a game for two.
Scientific Whist
“Scientific Whist” : standard cards with instructions for play on the faces by Chas Goodall & Son, 1...
Agatha Christie and Playing Cards revisited
Agatha Christie uses card-play as a primary focus of a story, and as a way of creating plots and mot...
T. Drayton & Son
Bezique and Whist boxed sets by T. Drayton & Son, London, c.1875.
The Evolution of Bezique boxed sets, 1869 to 1990
The first company to register Bezique materials with Stationers’ Hall was Josh Reynolds & Son in Sep...
Card Game Items and contemporary advertisements
It is often difficult to identify the origin, manufacturer and date of a card game boxed set and oth...
A New Look at the Evolution of Whist Markers and Gaming Counters
This article aims to illustrate the evolution of whist and gaming counters from the 18th century to ...
Whist writers and their pseudonyms
Why did so many early writers about whist and other card games feel the need to write under a pseudo...
Whist marker boxes
The Camden Whist marker was being advertised by Goodall and son in 1872 as a new product.
Bridge Markers and bridge scoring methods
Bridge Markers and bridge scoring methods 1900-1930
Kuhn Khan and Cooncan: an update
Kuhn Khan and Cooncan are pretty much exactly the same rummy-style game, but packaged and presented ...
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...
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...
Why do we Collect? My 20 Favourite Items
I suppose people collect for different reasons, rarity, quality, ingenuity of design, sentimental va...
Progressive Whist Cards
There are references to “progressive whist” or “whist drives” during the 19th and early years of the...
Progressive Whist Cards - page 3
There were various Sports and Sporting Whist themes... and tobacco advertising on score cards.
Progressive Whist Cards - page 2
Wireless Whist itself, in many forms...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days