If the Ace was depicted we know for sure - otherwise just because the seller said it was Hart does not mean it was.

Sorry but I don't understand your doubt. I wait for the additional pictures from the buyer but the deck was really made by Samuel Hart. I did not lie but you are free to not believe me..

Picture 1: Rare one-way Back made by the N.Y Consolidated Card Co. for the Squeezers #35 deck
Picture 2: Abraham Hart
Picture 3: Charles Henry Hart
Picture 4: Charles Henry Hart

Samuel Hart, a legend in the history of American Playing Cards, was born in Philadelphia in 1818. When a youth he was employed in the auction rooms of the Messrs. Thomas and became later in life widely known as the maker of playing cards.  Coming from a long line of stationers and booksellers, Hart became acquainted with the business of paper and stationery manufacture from an early age. Hart’s immediate family had been in the business since 1831. His extended family also had similar business interests, having stores and proprietorships extending all the way from Philadelphia to New York.

Beginning his career working as an apprentice for his uncle, Lewis Joseph Cohen, Hart got his start in the family stationer business in New York City. He was made vice president of the Consolidated Card Company when that organization was formed in New York. He was also president of the Peerless Brick Company and was at one time a director of the American District Telegraph Company.

Hart was married to Julia (Leavey) Hart and leaves a son and three daughters. He died on Tuesday night of June 2, 1885, from congestion of the lungs, at his residence, 1819 Chestnut Street and was sixty-seven years of age at the time of his death.

The son of Samuel Hart, named Charles Henry Hart, was a lawyer, art critic and historian. Born in Philadelphia, February 4, 1847, he was also a nephew of Abraham Hart (1810-1885), once a well-known publisher of Philadelphia. On the paternal side he was of Dutch descent. His mother, who was native of London, England, was of English ancestry on her father’s side. Her mother was the daughter of a Frenchman named Andrade whose wife was a Spanish lady named Rodriquez.

The early education of Charles Henry Hart was acquired in private schools and under the direction of special tutors. His legal studies were pursued in the office of Hon. Samuel H. Perkins, and also in the Law Department of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in 1869, having been admitted to the Bar in November of the previous year.

For twenty-five years he practiced law in Philadelphia, rising rapidly in the profession and acquiring a reputation as an able and conscientious councilor. In early 1894 a serious railroad accident so disabled him as to necessitate his confinement within doors for a period of two years, which finally resulted in his permanent withdrawal from practice.

After his recovery he devoted his time to literature and art, in both of which he had been a close student from his youth. Not only was he one of the best known art critics in America, but may be said to have been a pioneer in the appreciation of the art of America portraits painters. He was recognized on both sides of the Atlantic as an expert in historical portraits, his judgment having several times been adopted by the National Portrait Gallery of London. He was an earnest advocate of the superiority of English art to that of the French, and to his endeavors may be largely attributed the present high appreciation in the United States of the works of English artists.

He was director of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1882-1902, and as chairman of the exhibition committee instituted in 1887 the first exhibition of historical portraits in this country. In 1903 he served as chairman of the committee on retrospective art at the World’s Columbian Exposition. In 1889 he was appointed a member of the committee of fifty to arrange the celebration in New York City of the centennial anniversary of the inauguration of Pres. Washington, being the only non-resident thus honored.

He was a member of the American Historical Association, the historical societies of Massachusetts, Maine, Long Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, etc.; the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, the Essex Institute, Philadelphia Society of Etchers, and the Academy of Natural Sciences. He was the author of articles upon Philadelphia in the Encyclopedia Britannica (1885-1903), and also of: “Bibliographia Lincolniana”; “Life Portraits of Great Americans”; “Portraits of Washington” and many others.

Charles Henry Hart was thrice married: First on November 16, 1869 to Armine, daughter of John Nixon; on February 16, 1905 to Marianne Livingston, daughter of William Lacy Phillips, of Philadelphia and on December 7, 1912, to Anita, daughter of Senor Don Alfonso Gonzales y Arabe, of Sevilla, Spain. There was one son by the second marriage, Charles Henry Hart, Jr.

The son of Samuel Hart died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 29, 1918.

If you are interested to discover a little more about one of the first American playing card manufacturers, I have attached the biography of James Yorke Humphreys that I recently completed.

Do you know if the Bicycle deck used in the "It" television film based on Stephen King's novel was really printed by the United States playing Card Company or if the clown is just a sticking on the card back for the needs of the movie?

Otherwise, I know that some collector's items of movies are auctioned. Maybe one of you have this deck in his collection?

Thank you

I think he was trying to be more evocative rather than literal - and also bear in mind that French, not English, is his primary language, so some subtleties of a complex phrase might be lost in the translation.

Suffice it to say, Cryptocard, that we enjoy your presence here!  I'm looking forward to seeing this, but then, who isn't looking forward to the next Blaine/Stutzman creation?  Stutzman was at the convention last month, gave an awesome presentation and was a great guy to talk with.  Now if only we can get Blaine to come as well... 

Thank you Don I think that you identified well the allusion with the image but if it was inappropriate, I will not do it again. I have discussed by mail with Mark Stutzman and yes, he seems to be very nice in addition to being a great artist!

I discovered the Chameleon deck made by the Expert PCC. I find that the back is really beautiful but personally, I think that the joker is a little unsuccessful compared with those of David Blaine. That's a pity because otherwise, this deck would have been able to be a great design equivalent.

Brom is one of my all time favorite artists and a huge influence on my own art, but I am also a little confused why the image was added... But now I really want a Brom deck... Add that to American McGees Alice on my list of IPs I want to see made into decks and will likely never see.

I explained the reason above but if I made an error, please, excuse me. It was unintentional..

According to the ol' Instagram, looks like Blaine has a new deck coming out sometime soon. I really admire Stutzman's work, so whatever this ends up being I'm sure I'll grab a few. Lately I've been rather disillusioned by the releases of any of the big names, but this type of thing catches my eye.

Thank you for this sharing! I am also an admirer of their fantastic work. I believe sincerely that the Gatorbacks (especially the green and red with the extremely nice exotic fishes card) have no equivalent and it is the most beautiful playing card work existing for the moment, in my opinion.

What fascinates me with these decks is the fabulous mixture of genres and universes. To take the example of your last photo, few people would have idea to mix a lioness with high-heeled shoes, wearing a shoulder-pieces costume on a chessboard and in the process of stretching his arm like a falconer while roaring: "Can you make that too?" It is truly fascinating...

The next partnership can only be a wonderful continuation that I really look forward to, now thanks to your post

Triton advertisements - Part 2

This weekend I viewed a collection of well over 1 million playing cards.

It was just single cards or also complete decks? That's pretty amazing!

The box designs took some time. Now that they are done, it's just a matter of choosing the right color, changing the descriptions of the cards and printing the boxes on matt finish heavyweight paper, which is not quite as thick as an actual tuck box. Then I cut and glue. The gold boxes were printed on a LaserJet with gold foil. The background color is printed first, then the graphics are printed in black, then the foil adheres to the black.

This is a fantastic work! Do you make these boxes exclusively for your private decks or could you consider selling some non-Bicycle boxes for other collectors?

That's a lovely deck.  I don't suppose it's marked or stripped, is it?

I do not think that it is stripped or marked. I don't have this deck in my collection but according to photos and description, no cards was removed. However, I did not find other descriptions of this deck except the eBay link.

Having custom cabinets made is a great idea. A playing card collection is an investment, and features such as UV glass and acid-free shelves are a wise choice. I have another old wooden cabinet that stores the decks I don't display and I put acid-free blotter paper in each drawer so the cards have some protection from the wood and old paint.

Here is a photo of the lower shelves of my display cabinet... Note that a number of the boxes were home made by me, including the gold edge one in the top row center, the brown one right below it, the green one to the left below that, etc. Lots of great decks come without boxes!

Thank you for this additional photo Joseph. It is exciting and very beautiful to see. Your work with the boxes is truly remarkable! How much time it takes to create one box?

The theory of the export is interesting but however, the article (from my researches) doesn't come from an English advertisement, but from an American newspaper. This back was introduced in 1890 probably for the Apollo deck with the "fishbowl" joker but for a very short period, in my opinion. What is certain is that this back was no longer comprised in the standard backs used for the Apollo decks in 1895 with the new joker.

Another element is that the National Card Company was a serious menace for the Russell & Morgan factory at those days. And as the Bicycle decks were already popular, this very nice and unexpected back was maybe a little bit of revenge from Samuel John Murray in relation to his previous associates with whom he had a disagreement. As he participated in the success of the United States Playing Card Company, he maybe wanted to show that he was able to seriously compete with his adversaries by creating a back with a similar design but nevertheless unique and sophisticated. An ingenious model specially created by his own fast growing National Company, before the USPCC buy it out and controlles the production, perhaps deciding to abandon and remove permanently this back from the market, as a part of the arrangement with Mr. Murray in 1893.

Attached below is the first article published also in 1890 in the same newspaper, just before the one which presents the National Bicycle back.