Sherlock Holmes

Published January 19, 2021 Updated April 10, 2023

Sherlock Holmes deck with caricatures by Jeff Decker published by Gemaco Playing Card Co. 1989.

1989 USA Gemaco Sherlock Holmes Jeff Decker Art & Design Caricatures Comic Books Literature

Sherlock Holmes deck published by Gemaco Playing Card Co., 1989.

A total of 18 eccentric caricatures of Sherlock Holmes characters are shown against a pale blue background. All the picture cards are signed by the artist, Jeff Decker, the prodigious Sherlockian illustrator. The back design shows Sherlock Holmes, complete with deer-stalker, Inverness cape, pipe and magnifying glass inspecting a playing card, and Professor Moriarty. Holmes is also portrayed on the ace of each suit, in different poses.

Sherlock Holmes deck with designs by J. Decker, Gemaco 1989 Sherlock Holmes deck with designs by J. Decker, Gemaco 1989
Sherlock Holmes deck with designs by J. Decker, Gemaco 1989

Above: Sherlock Holmes deck with designs by Jeff Decker published by Gemaco Playing Card Co., © F. Vacante, 1989. 52 cards + 3 jokers in box.


Further Reference

Author Archives: Jeff Decker

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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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