Or. ass XVII.] PLAYING CARDS ; MESSAGE CARDS; DRAWING-BOARDS; ENVELOPES. 447

of playing-cards until 1832, when Mr. De La Rue ob-tained a patent for certaiu improvements, which con-sisted in substituting printing with oil colours, in litho-graphy or letter-press, from wood or metal blocks, andusing a superior description of quick-drying printing-ink, not liable to set-otf in glazing. By this process amuch sharper impression is obtained, the colours aremore vivid, and the backs better ornamented than couldbe effected by stencilling with water-colours. The patentmode of manufacturing playing-cards has been adoptedby many of the German manufacturers, and by theImperial Government of Russia.

In his work on playing-cards, Mr. Chatto says, that“ no other game was ever so generally played by peopleof both sexes—young, old, rich, aud poor. It is, perhaps,as extensively diffused as the use of tobacco, and is cer-tainly indulged in by a greater variety of persons.”We are much indebted to Mr. Chatto’s “ l'acts andSpeculations on Playing Cards” for the valuable in-formation it has afforded its, and of which we have madefree use.

The following is a list of the playing-card manufac-turers who exhibited:—

England. —Messrs. De La Rce and Co. 76, pp. 541,542) exhibited some beautifully - manufactured packsof playing-cards, with ornamental backs of flowers,fruits, and ornaments, from drawings by Mr. Owen Jones;among them a series of four, with interwoven mono-grams of Iler Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince Albert,

] I is Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and Her RoyalHighness the Princess Royal; the monograms in eachare surrounded with groups of flowers exquisitely exe-cuted in chromolithography. The rose and hawthorn,typical of youth and beauty, surrouuds the monogram ofHer Majesty; II.R.II. Prince Albert is appropriatelyrepresented by the holly, the ivy, and the oak; thefuschia and daisy express the beautiful childhood ofII.R.II. the Prince of Wales; the primrose, violet, andlily, the innocence, modesty, and beauty of the PrincessRoyal.

Messrs. De La Rue had also some cards adapted fornear-sighted people, the pips being in different colours —the spades in black, the clubs in green, the hearts in red, !and the diamonds in pale blue. These coloured cardswere suggested by Sir Franklaud Lewis. Messrs. De LaRue’s playing-cards, called Victoria cards, surpass allothers in finish, quality of paper, perfection of printing,and ornaments on the backs.

Mr. Whittaker, of London (49, p. 541 s ), contributedsome single cards, of various patterns, as examplesof playing cards in gold and colours ; the designs ofthese are commendable, but as none were exhibited madeup in packs, the Jury could not ascertain the degree ofmerit which would be due to them in a manufacturedstate.

There were several exhibitors of playing-cards fromforeign countries, viz.:—

France . — M. Blaquiere, of Paris (1552, p. 1251\ whohad some with the pips in different colours. M. IIulot(882, p. 1222) had some court-card forms electrotyped.

Belgium . — Mr. Daveluy d’Elhouxgne, of Bruges (448, p. 1165), specimens said to be printed by a newprocess, but the Jury could not discover any particularmerit. ;

Franhfort-on-the-jSIaine. —M. C. L. Wuest (5 Zollv.,14, p. 1122', who appears to have adopted De La Rue’s :patent process, exhibited some cards with defined patternbacks printed in register, well executed ; and lie deserves ;mention as having produced good specimens of that par-ticular style.

Grand Duchy of Hesse.— MM. Frommann, of Darm­ stadt (6 Zollv., 39, p. 112S), had good and well-made ;specimens. Mr. Reuter, of Darmstadt (6 Zollv., 40), jhad some printed with oil colours. Mr. II. L. Schnapper, !of Offenbach (6 Zollv., 42), displayed some well-manu-factured specimens.

Austria. — Mr. G. Steiger, Vienna (374, p. 102S),exhibited very well-made cards.

Sweden . —Mr. Heurlix, of Stockholm (113, p. 1354), fwell-made and well-glazed playing-cards. :

Denmark . —Mr. L. P. IIolmblap, of Copenhagen (27,p. 1357), had also some good playing-cards.

The playing-cards exhibited by these different coun-tries indicate a marked advance in the manufacture ofthat article.

V. MESSAGE CARDS.

Above thirty-five years since, the late Mr. W. Cros-wick, paper-maker, introduced a superior descriptionof blank visiting and message cards, which uutil thatperiod had been supplied by playing-card makers fromtheir refuse boards. The great encouragement given byengravers, printers, and the public to the superiority ofMr. Creswick’s cards, induced other persons to embarkin this branch of the paper trade. New and importantmanufactories have risen, and there are now several inthis country. The English blank cards are made ofexcellent paper; the best are made with drawing-paper;they are generally superior to those of any other country.It does not appear that any foreign manufacturers havepaid as much attention to their production as theEnglish .

VI. DRAWING-BOARDS.

Drawing-hoards should be manufactured of the besthand-made drawing-papers. Messrs. Ilollingworth, ofTurkey Mill; Messrs. Balston (under the well-knownname of J. Whatman ); Richard Turner, of Chafford;Mr. Wilmot; Messrs. Evans, of Derby, and one or twoothers, are the principal makers of vat-papers fit for thepurpose. When two or more sheets are pasted together,well rolled and pressed, they become London drawing-boards, best quality; Bristol boards are an inferior sort.There are several manufacturers of drawing-boards inLondon . Only two exhibited, Messrs. Turniutll, ofHolywell Mount, Shoreditch (45, p. 540), and Messrs.De La Rue, of Bunhill Row (76, p. 542). Messrs.Godin, of Liege (284, Belgium , p. 1160), and one ortwo French paper-makers, also sent samples, but nonewere equal to the best Loudon boards.

VII. ENVELOPES.

The number of English exhibitors in this now im-portant branch of the paper trade was nine; the mostprominent of whom, Messrs. De La Rue (76, pp.541—543), had a patent folding-machine at work, inthe Main Avenue, during the whole period of the Exhi-bition, which attracted the public in such crowds thatmany were disappointed in their endeavours to see it.An idea may be formed of the magnitude to which thisnew trade has already grown, when we state that twelveof these machines fold and gum weekly nearly twomillions of envelopes. The number of exhibitors fromFrance was three. From other countries, there werenone of any importance.

The use of envelopes was common in France beforetheir introduction into England. It was not till 1839, inconsequence of Mr. Rowland Hill’s postage reform, thatauy important consumption took place in this country,yet little progress was made in the manufacture ofenvelopes until March 1845, when Mr. Edwin Hill andMr. Warren De La Rue obtained a patent for cutting andfolding them by machinery. Until this period envelopeswere imperfectly folded by hand with a bookbinder’sfolding-stick, 3,000 per day being about the quantity anexperienced workwoman could produce.

Before the penny postage, 26,000,000 letters passedannually through the Post Office. In 1S50, 347,000,000letters were posted; of this large number nearly300,000,000 -were enclosed in envelopes 1 Besides theplain envelopes for commercial purposes, there is a largeconsumption of fancy and ornamented envelopes, aconsiderable quantity of which are exported to mostparts of the world.

The manufacture of envelopes gives employment togreat numbers of young boys and girls, whose wagesrange, in England, from six to nine shillings per week.

Messrs. Wateri.ow (46, p. 540) also had a folding-machine at work in the Machinery Department. It was