(c) 2018 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston

Charles Goodall & Sons

founded London, 1820-1922

BiographyCharles Goodall (also referred to as Charles Goodall & Sons or just Goodall) was a British playing card maker based in London; first at Soho and later in Camden. Goodall, alongside primary domestic competitor De La Rue, accounted for approximately two-thirds of domestic playing card production by 1850. The firm's Camden works employed in excess of one-thousand people, and consequently played a key role in the economic development of East London. During the firm's pinnacle it obtained medals at ten different international exhibitions.

Goodall has maintained an enduring impact on playing card design, with the family pioneering double-headed court cards that are now the standard. Prior to this design development face cards had featured a more traditional portrait, and were thus illegible if held upside down by a player.
https://www.wopc.co.uk/members/ken-lodge/goodall
DD

Person TypeInstitution

Last Updated10/1/24