Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards

William Andrew Chatto (1799-1864) initially was employed in the wholesale tea business. However, his real passion was antiquarian scholarship, so in 1834, he gave up the family firm and devoted himself to writing full-time. His first work was entitled, Recollections of Fly-Fishing in Northumberland, under the pseudonym, Stephen Oliver. He was interested in many subjects, and his varied publications reflect his diverse pursuits, including wood carving, fishing, tobacco and playing cards. In addition to authoring books, he was the editor for New Sporting Magazine, and Puck, a Journalette of Fun. He was elected an honorary member of the Antiquarian Society of Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1839. He was among the first to suggest that playing cards might have originated in China at the court of Seun-Ho in 1120. This new edition of his work is dedicated to Yasha Beresiner, past Master of the Worshipful Company of Playing Card Makers in London.