Pictorial

Published May 07, 2012 Updated July 09, 2022

Pictorial Playing Cards - De Luxe - Fabric Finish - manufactured by Alf Cooke Limited (Universal Playing Card Co.)

1950 United Kingdom Alf Cooke / Universal New Bond Pictorial Woolworth

Pictorial Playing Cards manufactured for F. W. Woolworth & Co, 1950s-60s

Alf Cooke Ltd, Crown Point Leeds factory seal

Alf Cooke's range of “De Luxe Pictorial Fabric Finish Playing Cards”, in their bright orange boxes with a triangle and crown logo, were manufactured specially for F. W. Woolworth & Co. during the 1950s and 1960s. The designs were an expansion from the earlier “New Bond” series with new designs reflecting the new era marked by the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In some cases the ‘Universal Playing Card Co’ Ace of Spades is found, and in other cases the new ‘Alf Cooke Limited’ Ace is found along with the newer Joker designs.

Above: Clan Tartan Pictorial Playing Cards - De Luxe Fabric Finish - manufactured by the Universal Playing Card Co., containing two Jokers and three-colour court cards. The name ‘Alf Cooke Limited’ is printed on the box. These cards were also sold with Alf Cooke Ace of Spades as "Scottish Tartan" playing cards in a special box for Pepys Games.

Alf Cooke Pictorial Playing Cards, c.1960

Above: Pictorial Playing Cards - De Luxe Fabric Finish - manufactured by Alf Cooke Limited (Universal Playing Card Co) containing two Jokers and four-colour court cards. The Jokers have been slightly simplified by the removal of the banderole at the bottom. The Hiawatha Indian designs, available in red or green, were carried over from the earlier “New Bond” series.

Pictorial Playing Cards manufactured by Alf Cooke Limited, c.1955-60

Left: Pictorial Playing Cards manufactured by Alf Cooke Limited, unopened in their original tax wrapper c.1955-60.


Above: New Bond pack with the crown motif on the box and Alf Cooke ace of spades, 1960s. Courtesy Matt Probert.

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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.

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