The World of Playing Cards Logo

Multum in Parvo Co., Ltd

Published May 22, 2021 Updated June 18, 2024

Multum in Parvo published a range of indoor games during the period from 1884-1927.

United Kingdom Mullord Brothers Multum in Parvo Victorian Card Games

Multum in Parvo Company of 7 Water Lane, Ludgate Hill, London, was founded by descendents of Mullord Brothers in 1884. The company published a range of indoor games until 1927, which were supplied wholesale. However, they were not all card games:

Animal Quorum, Auction Game, Birds, Beasts and Fishes, The Bogie Man, The Castle, Chameleon, Consil, The Dockyard or Ship Building at Home, Fairy Tales, Four Flags, Grand Prize, Happy Golliwog, Invasion, Judge & Jury, Koker-Nut Shy, Lifeboats, Merry Families, Money Matters, Music, Musical Dominoes, Nap, Newmarket, Nuhome, Our Fleet, The Poets’ Conversation Cards, Rabbits!, The Rescue, The Roaring Lion, Shop, Shute, Simple Games for Simple Folk, Snap, The Soccer Game, Speculation, Stock Exchange, Tennis, Tommy's Wedding, Touring, Turnover, The Walk to Brighton, Who Buys?, Word Making & Word Taking.

Most games sold for between 6d and one shilling, but miniature packs of playing cards, one penny.

Several of the card games shown below contain the same images, repurposed to fit a different game format, particularly the Merry Families and Snap characters. For example, the same animal caricatures are seen in “Birds, Beasts and Fishes”, “Consil” and “The Improved Game of Snap”.

Birds, Beasts and Fishes

“Birds, Beasts and Fishes” published by Multum in Parvo Ltd from 1884

Above: the Game of Birds, Beasts and Fishes, from 1884,   more

Consil

“Consil” published by Multum in Parvo Ltd, c.1900

Above: “Consil” published by Multum in Parvo Ltd, c.1900,   more

Some of the pictures in the above games were also used in The Improved Game of Snap

Merry Families

At least two different versions of Happy Families are known, one featuring tradespeople, the other occupations, or professions.

Merry Families, from 1884

Above: Merry Families (Trades), from 1884,   more.

Merry Families, c.1890

Above: Merry Families (Occupations), c.1890.   more.

Snap

Snap, c.1890

Above: Snap, c.1890.   more.

Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales, c.1884

Above: the Game of Fairy Tales, c.1884   more

Nap, or the Game of Proverbs

Proverbs, c.1900

Above: Nap, or the Game of Proverbs, c.1900   more

Four Flags

the Game of Four Flags, 1884

Above: the Game of Four Flags, 1884,   more

Who Buys?

Who Buys?, c.1890

Above: Who Buys?, c.1890.   more.

Auction Game

Auction Game, c.1890

Above: Auction Game, c.1890.   more.


CREDITS

All images courtesy Rex Pitts. Thanks to Neil Darbyshire for additional research.

avatar
774 Articles

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

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.


Leave a Reply

Default Avatar
Your Name
Just now

Create account to comment Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here.


Related Articles

2010 Typographic Playing Cards

Typographic Playing Cards

Typographic Playing Cards designed by Jim Sutherland, c.2010.

1812 76: Transitions: Hunt & Sons

76: Transitions: Hunt & Sons

Styles change and technology develops. This means that it's possible to see transition periods in th...

1920 Gibson’s History of England

Gibson’s History of England

History without tears for young and old, 1920s.

1953 Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards

Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards

Innovative advertising pack for Simpsons of Piccadilly designed by André François.

1998 Scruffy Mutts

Scruffy Mutts

‘Scruffy Mutts’ dog-themed playing cards, United Kingdom, c.1998.

1986 Victorian playing cards

Victorian playing cards

54 different card designs including people, animals, flowers, costumes and ornaments popular during ...

1995 Iroha Karuta for Hino City

Iroha Karuta for Hino City

Special version of Iroha Karuta, a traditional Japanese matching game, made for Hino City, Tokyo.

1990 Iroha Karuta

Iroha Karuta

Traditional Japanese matching game played mainly by children.

1974 O-Shlemiel card game

O-Shlemiel card game

O-Shlemiel card game with Yiddish words and phrases.

1989 Hamlet Cigars

Hamlet Cigars

Advertising deck for “Hamlet mild cigars”, a Benson & Hedges product.

Heathen Divinities

Heathen Divinities

Handmade playing cards from the British Museum depicting classical Greek and Roman gods and goddesse...

1968 1968 Worshipful Company Pack

1968 Worshipful Company Pack

Commemorating the Games of the XIX Olympiad, Mexico, 1968 (Master: Michael J. Amberg).

2006 Royal Britain

Royal Britain

Pack devised by Pietro Alligo depicting English monarchs from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II.

Hand-drawn set of 52 playing cards

Hand-drawn set of 52 playing cards

An imaginatively hand-drawn set of 52 playing cards by an amateur artist, 18th century.

2004 Famous Faces playing cards

Famous Faces playing cards

Images of the great and the good to be found in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

2013 Go Go Gorillas!

Go Go Gorillas!

Go Go Gorillas! charity playing cards sponsored by the Eastern Daily Press and the Norwich Evening N...