Heartsette by Herbert Fitch & Co, 1893

In the 1890s Messrs Herbert Fitch & Co were winning over business to the use of advertising. As an incentive, the firm had a fine assortment of artistic blocks available, suitable for embellishing catalogues, circulars, window cards, price lists and all sorts of business advertisements. And they also promoted the very popular and saleable game of Heartsette with rounded corners and indices, in faux-calfskin boxes with gilt lettering, price 2/6d.

The following is an excerpt from Illustrated London and Its Representatives of Commerce, 1893, page 143:

Above: Herbert Fitch’s ‘Economic’ Art Printing Office, 30 Bury Street, Leadenhall Street, London E.C.

Heartsette

According to the booklet, the game can only be played with a Heartsette pack, the "Demon" of each suit being the highest and the Ace the lowest, the other cards ranking as in Whist. The object of the game is to discard all Hearts and so arrange as not to take any trick containing a Heart. Three, Four or Five persons can play the game, every player being for themself and against all others. It is a non-gambling game and if points are played the interest of the game and its details is somewhat marred more►

Above: special Heartsette pack (registered & copyrighted) published by Herbert Fitch & Co, 1893, who were promoting the game - very like Black Maria. The Ace of Spades is plain, but there is a special Ace of Hearts instead. The 12 court cards are the standard Goodall faces. 52 cards + 20-page booklet + smaller card

Although the box claims that these cards were printed by Fitch, the cards are, in fact, Goodall’s of the 1880s. It’s possible that since Goodall had updated their cards by the 1890s, the old plates were sold/loaned to Fitch for printing in their own factory.

• See the box

“The premises were equipped throughout with improved modern machinery of the best type, affording every facility for the conduct of the large industry engaged in”.

Overhead drive shafts and belts deliver power to the machines from a steam engine in a boiler room. A foreman can be seen at centre-left foreground while skilled operatives mind the machinery. Artisan craftsmanship has long been replaced by mechanisation and costly machinery in an industrialised environment where progressive enterprise, sound commercial principles and international reputation are valued. During the 19th century production from workshops like this was shipped worldwide, including India, the Far East and the Colonies.

Reference

Illustrated London and Its Representatives of Commerce : Google books►