The House of Grimaud...

Cerulean

...I've started collecting references to the House of Grimaud before they were absorbed into France-Cartes, and was sent printed information from a kind dealer who is in a French playing card society.

Given that it is a more modern historical bit of interest to me. especially seeing that they had given many European (French and English in the twentieth century) publishers permission to print black and white scans of their Ancient Marseilles.

Two small side areas of corresponding meanings and matching keywords research...one is looking at a Grimaud booklet of meanings printed in the 1960's in English for their English export market is rather interesting to me...I've been doing leisurely comparisons with a few writers who might be thought of as favoring Marseilles commentary or meanings with the release of their reproductions (such as U.S. Games in the 1970's and 80s or the modern Maud Kristen in the twenti-first century).

The other is small peeks at Italian and French Etteilla-style decks and Papus/Picard/Egyptian-style or other period books/deck descriptions...Grimaud's Grand Etteilla Gypsy-style deck has had some interesting and slightly subtle variations.

So far online, I've started from this timeline:

http://playing-cards.us/main.html

and wondered if other people would suggest references as well?

Perhaps Encyclopedia of the Tarot Volume II or the History of the Occult Tarot (Decker and Dummett)....what else would be pertinent?

I'm still reading through two references provided by a dealer and he said it was fine to share with anyone who is interested...
 

Fulgour

I got this off a "dead" website using the cached selection:

For a great number of amateurs, as well in FRANCE as in foreign countries, FRANCE CARTES is synonymous with playing cards.

As early as XVIIIe century, it established its reputation. Everything starts with Baptiste-Paul GRIMAUD who in 1848 buy up the workshop of the " Maître Cartier " ARNOULD based in Paris since 1750.

Baptiste-Paul GRIMAUD is not long providing innovation and established the basis of the modern playing cards :

Reversible portrait (2 heads)
Round corners (1865)
Golden corners
Opaque cards (1885)

On June the 18th of 1817, a royal edict impose the apposition of a stamp on the ace of clubs and the use of a special paper to produce playing cards. These administrative constraints make difficult the development of new firms and monopolize the market up to 1945. By that time, the Playing Cards Authority is suppressed : the market is free again.

In February 1946 Jean-Marie SIMON floats his own brand name "LA DUCALE". At the beginning, he subcontracts the production of playing cards but to meet the high demand, he invests in equipment and one year later, he produces himself.

This little factory in Lorraine has difficulties to make a name for itself because of the " giant " Baptiste-Paul GRIMAUD. But day after day, it gains ground thank to the serious and quality of its production.

Only just 15 years after the establishment of his factory, Jean-Marie SIMON buy up GRIMAUD Society and become the number one of the playing cards, producing and distributing the brand names GRIMAUD and DUCALE.

In 1962, Jean-Marie SIMON gives his parts up to an English shareholder who will give them up to an American Trust. Finally, the Germans will buy up the parts.

At last, in August 1989, Yves WEISBUCH actual Chairman and Managing Director, takes on the business, that he has contribute to develop since 1962 as a trading leader.
 

Fulgour

Best Wishes :) for this Wonderful project!
 
Very old Czech/German cards The Fools' Journey