Goodall 200th Anniversary Playing Cards

The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards has launched a second ‘special’ pack for 2020. 

The new set celebrates the 200th anniversary of one of England’s most successful card makers, Chas. Goodall & Son. In 1820 Charles Goodall set up his own business, making playing cards and message cards with premises at 6 Lisle Street, Leicester Square. By the 1900s, Goodall was the clear industry leader, making over 2 million packs a year.

In the late 1850s the Goodalls appointed a young artist and printer George Clulow. In time, he became a partner of Goodall & Son, with overall responsibility for design. In 1889-90 he was Master of the Worshipful Company.

Under Clulow, Goodall’s cards became the reference upon which most later manufacturers based their designs. There is not room to cover that topic here, but the interested reader will find comparisons in the work of Ken Lodge (see e.g. his blog on wopc.co.uk).

Clulow was also a great authority on playing cards and the owner of a fine collection. In 1905, he sold his collection to the US Playing Card Company. 

The commemorative ‘special’ set is a limited and numbered edition of 200 and each set comprises a scanned and digitised deck from 1820, printed by Cartamundi on heavyweight stock with square corners and plain backs.

The packs have a specially commissioned wrapper by Emma Thompson and come boxed with a 32- page booklet about Goodall’s history and their cards.

The Goodall history comes from Mike Goodall’s book “Goodall: The Family and The Firm”, 2000. He has a new book: “200th Anniversary of Goodall’s Playing Cards”

?Please note:  These decks do not come in a tuck box, only cello wrap.  The cello wrap may have minor wrinkles and tears.  Also the inner storage box the decks were shipped in may have creases and tears. The decks were inspected to be in mint condition and we added the additional protection of a bubble sleeve to protect the decks to their final destination.  See video for more details.