27: CARDS AT STRANGERS' HALL, NORWICH [UPDATED]

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There is a very interesting collection of playing cards held at the Strangers' Hall Museum in Norwich.   Paul Bostock and I have written an article about the collection, which appeared in a recent issue of The Playing Card (41/4).   Since there wasn't enough room to illustrate all the packs in the journal, I'll put up a number of further scans of items from the collection.   All the catalogue numbers are prefixed with NWHCM.

1950.179.5.1 Hall & Son, c.1820

1967.3.4 Maior, c.1810

1979.412.1 Reynolds, 1870s

1950.179.3.1 Gibert, 1858, European Royalty

1967.762.2 Probably German

Derived from the earlier Paris pattern;  note that the JD is made from a duplicate JH.   The writing says: Nave diments!

1967.762.1 Süsz & Kunz, c.1790

Another version of the Paris pattern;  the tax stamp is Scandinavian.

One of a number of Gatteaux designs, this one with pale turquoise rather than blue

1933.154 Hand-painted pack, c.1820;  how about the cross-eyed KC?!

1941.99.1 J. Sabatas Spanish pack, dated 1853

1944.42.1 Jehan Volay, South West France, c.1700

1968.979 Hand-made transformation pack, c.1875, using De La Rue standard

Said to have been drawn by Minna Watson, a member of the Bolingbroke family, who at one time owned Strangers' Hall.

1956.191 Lenthall's Arithmetical pack, c.1707-11 (incomplete)

1968.39 ?Baragioli Portuguese dragon pack, c.1750 (incomplete)

 1944.42.3 Willis Deakin's Political pack, c.1881

1968.1005.1 Goodall standard English, c.1863-65

1965.563.1 Anonymous Spanish pack, c.1850s

The Museum is well worth a visit.   For access to the cards, contact Strangers’ Hall (01603 767138) in advance.