Picture Rummy
Picture Rummy by R. Turner Ltd, 1937.
Picture Rummy by R. Turner Ltd, Stoke Newington, London, 1937. The game was invented by David Whitelaw, who also invented Lexicon. There were 2 editions of the game each having 2 different sets of pictures and different ‘Joka’ designs. The 1st editions have red patterned backs and mottled red boxes, the 2nd editions having blue patterned backs and one box plain red and the other green. This means there are 4 different games to be found and only a couple of the pictures are duplicated. See the Rules►
First Edition
1st edition - 2 different sets of 4 pictures (shown lower down) making 2 versions (both boxes mottled red and card backs red pattern).
Above: box and cards from 1st edition of Picture Rummy by R. Turner Ltd, Stoke Newington, London N16, having red patterned backs and mottled red box. 52 cards.
Second Edition
2nd edition - again 2 different sets of 4 pictures making another 2 versions (one box plain red and one green, card backs blue patterned). 52 cards.
Above: box and cards from 2nd edition, having blue patterned backs and plain red or green box.
The Pictures
Each set, from whichever edition, contains 4 pictures like the ones shown below.
R. Turner Ltd was a maker of many board games in the “Ilex” series.
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.
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