Thomas Creswick not to be confused with the artist of the same name was a papermaker and printer before 1820 and resided at 16 Skinner Street, Snow Hill, London. From 1820 Thomas is known to have had a business registered at 4 Chandos Street, Covent Garden, London which continued into the middle of the 19th century.
The Stamp Duty records identify Creswick as first registering an ace of spades on the 25 July 1820. This would have been the standard garter ace with GIV and duty 1 shilling and sixpence. The aces had numbers from 1 -20 and the die was re-cut 9 April 1823 and again on 23 May 1826. Creswick also had an ace for use with cards for Exportation which was also registered in July 1820. In 1828 After changes made to the playing card duty Creswick registered his new 'Old Frizzle' ace with the One Shilling duty on 14 April 1828. A new ace for Exportation use was registered on 9 July 1828. His cards were printed with the traditional designs albeit with subtle changes in style / colour which identified him from other printers of playing cards. Most cards were of a standard size and sold in sets of 52 but he did print some smaller sized piquet packs.
What Thomas Creswick has also become known for is his attempt to modernise the standard design of playing card court and to issue sets with courts depicting historical figures as can be seen below.
Thomas Creswick was clearly experimenting with new style court designs to make his mark in the world and in order to differentiate his cards from those of his competitors. Public opinion if favourable could make a business successful very quickly as buyers seek out the best new sought after products. Equally, if the publics' reception to a new product is muted or unfavourable sale volumes would likely be low and the product run would be very limited. There is some irony today these unpopular or unsuccessful playing card issues have become greatly sought after and command very high prices due to their rarity. An article published in a newspaper c. 1830 suggested that public opinion regarding Thomas Creswick's latest issue was not that well received.
"Mr. Creswick card maker, has just issued a pack of playing cards, in which the court figures are refined into better likeness of humanity than in the accustomed pictures which have existed from the time of Henry VIII. We are not sure, however, that this is an improvement which can become general; for though the cards are more beautiful and elegant, their parts do not catch the eye so distinctly as the coarser and broader masses of the others, as to shew at a glance, by the fold of a skirt, or the top of a head-dress, who and what the figure and suit are, king, queen, knave - heart, diamond, club, spade. Where only a small number of cards are required for the hand, Mr Creswick's have certainly a great superiority; but for whist, where thirteen are held, we prefer the old ones."
Was this the case with the following three sets issued from c 1828 until Thomas Creswick's death in 1840. The set comprising courts depicting historical kings and queens from different countries is relatively well known and found in many collections today but the second and third 'non -standard' sets shown below are exceedingly rare. The last set only being discovered very recently in a local auction and to my knowledge not previously recorded elsewhere. was this Thomas Creswick's biggest failure or his biggest success?
Duty 1 Shilling Old Frizzle Ace with standard pip cards. The Court card designs are somewhat different with unnamed historical characters representing different countries
Jacks represent couriers King Carlos 1 and Queen of Spain
King Solomon II
Assumed to be the King & Queen of France
King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth of England
A rare set of cards by Thomas Creswick which have a free flowing design, pleasant on the eye and continental in style
Pictures of cards sourced from the collection of Ken Lodge and detailed within his blog hosted by the WOPC website.
Discovered in a local auction house and listed by the auctioneer without much fuss or todo, the lot containing this set of cards fetched a price well in excess of its estimate. The successful sale of this lot drew attention to a set of playing cards by Thomas Creswick which has not previously been recorded and therefore may be considered unique. Only time will tell, when other collectors have had a chance to see this set that it can be confirmed as 'unique' or not.
There's much to see here. So, take your time, look around, and enjoy..
Pictures courtesy of Barney Townsend