Karl Gerich
Karl Gerich No.22: “Rouennais”
Karl Gerich’s hand-made design No.22: “Rouennais”, Victoria P.C.C, Bath (UK), 1990.
Karl Gerich no.23: “Beautiful Bath”
Beautiful Bath is a hand-made pack by Karl Gerich which was published in 1996.
Karl Gerich No.26
Variations on the standard English pattern are one of Karl's favourite themes. He produced several versions and this is a magnificent example.
Karl Gerich No.27
The courts are characters from Wagner's opera “The Ring of the Nibelungs”, beautifully etched and hand coloured. Each character is named in a cursive script along each side of the card.
Karl Gerich No.28
Double-ended courts based on standard English pattern but with variant colours; double-ended Joker plus Steve Davis card.
Karl Gerich No.29
“Victoria Playing Cards” designed by Georgina Harvey and produced by Karl Gerich, Bath (UK), 1988. Printed from copperplate etching; hand-coloured.
Karl Gerich No.3
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by Simon Wintle
Four Elements is Karl's third attempt at manufacturing playing cards.
Karl Gerich No.31: Triton
“Triton”, KG31, was published by Karl Gerich in 1989 trading as Victoria Playing Card Co with double-ended courts based on the XP17 or “Bongoût” pattern of Van Genechen and other Turnhout makers.
Lettische Patience
Karl enjoyed experimenting with design and production and this work was published in 1994 as a 32-card pack with one joker. The double-ended courts are, by Gerich's standards, plain with simple costume designs based on the designs of Arturs Duburs.
Merry Andrew
There are two Aces to each suit; one plain and the other with figures of a young woman and man, presumably Merry Andrew and his girl-friend.
No.10 - Four Corners
Karl Gerich was a great admirer of playing cards produced by B. Dondorf and his tenth pack was inspired by Dondorf's “Luxus-Spielkarte Vier-Erdteile” (Four Continents Luxury Playing Cards) designed by Friedrich Karl Hausmann, 1870.
No.14 Rouennais
As far as is known, ‘Rouennais’ has only ever been produced as a sheet of etched court cards and aces. The designs are based on the early playing cards produced in Rouen (France) which became the antecedents of the standard English pattern.
No.6 Austrian
This early Gerich work is an adaptation of the English pattern with continental stylisation. The double-ended designs are slightly different at each end and divided by a gold band.
Patience No.21
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by Simon Wintle
‘Patience No.21’ is a 52-card miniature deck with double-ended courts and a Joker holding a fan of cards.
Trappola Française v.1
Inspired by Piatnik's ‘Trappola’ of c.1890, with double-ended courts, a Jester and decorated Aces, the cards are delicately etched and hand coloured so that versions exist with alternative colour schemes.