Transformation c.1880
Hand-drawn transformation cards, c.1880
Woolley & Co Transformation c.1880
Although this pack of ‘Floral Moguls’ would have been manufactured by Woolley & Co sometime between c.1870-1880, according to references on the three of diamonds the pip cards seem to have been transformed by hand using pen & ink in around 1879-80.
It is often the case that practice improves the artist’s hand who then reworks her ideas, returning to make the deck a second time: see another example here→
The Court Cards
Above: the twleve court cards, unturned, with square corners and no indices, as used between c.1865-1875. Unfortunately the ace of spades is missing but the most likely contender is here. Images courtesy Stuart McEwan. (Missing ace of spades provided by Ken Lodge).
REFERENCES
Goodall, Michael H: Minor British Playing Card Makers of the Nineteenth Century, (vol.2) Woolley & Company, Woking, 1996
Lodge, Ken: The Standard English Pattern (second revised and enlarged edition), Bungay, Suffolk, 2010
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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