James English & Co.
Victorian Playing Cards manufactured by James English & Co., London, c.1875
James English’s first advertisement in 1865 lists five varieties of playing cards: Highlanders No.1 & No.2, Harrys, Moguls with Floral & Gold backs. Gradually this range was expanded as new designs were added each season, in particular floral and ornamental back designs, some of which were designed by Mr Aymer Vallance. For a more detailed account of the company history see: Ken Lodge's Blog►
Above: cards published by James English, c.1870.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Above: playing cards manufactured by James English & Co (London) in c.1875. The cards have square corners and no indices, but double-ended courts were established by this time. Click here for free fortune-telling using these cards.
Above: four decorative back designs published by James English.
James English & Co was also using the name Peerless Card Company from around 1880.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
Related Articles
Victorian grocer’s scale plate
Large flat plate decorated with highly coloured English cards and royal arms.
Queen of Arts
A wide variety of women artists celebrated on cards with illustrations by Laura Callaghan.
The Glasgow Pack
Issued to celebrate Glasgow’s reign as European City of Culture in 1990, with city views and works o...
Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards
54 pictures of different famous cathedrals, abbeys and minsters in England and Wales.
Christmas Carols
Christmas Carols playing cards illustrated by Stuart Dilks
Pam is the Knave of Clubs
Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...
Question and Answer Games
A card game called “Impertinent Questions and Pertinent Answers” was launched in the early 1920s by ...
Dr Sacheverell
Dr. Henry Sacheverell's impeachment in 1710 sparked widespread public unrest and political upheaval,...
Leadmill playing cards
Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.
Agatha Christie and card games
Agatha Christie uses card-play as a primary focus of a story, and as a way of creating plots and mot...
English Heritage
52 different colour photos of historic sites managed by English Heritage.
The Malt Whiskies of Scotland
Three packs featuring photographs by Duncan McEwan of malt whisky distilleries in Scotland.
Typographic Playing Cards
Typographic Playing Cards designed by Jim Sutherland, c.2010.
76: Transitions: Hunt & Sons
Styles change and technology develops. This means that it's possible to see transition periods in th...
Gibson’s History of England
History without tears for young and old, 1920s.
Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards
Innovative advertising pack for Simpsons of Piccadilly designed by André François.
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
