The Queen of Hearts Trumps Them all!

            “Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” - Jack London (American novelist, journalist and activist)

The theme for "Looking Close on Friday" for the 14th of February is "hearts in focus", in hour of Saint Valentine’s Day, and who better to promote the day than the Queen of Hearts?   These beautiful court figures from the whist playing cards of the ‘Mittelalter No.150’ deck were made in Germany by the card firm B. Dondorf in 1873.  The deck, which is in immaculate condition, features beautiful, chromolithographed images of people dressed richly in stylised late medieval costumes.  I have put them against one of my Grandfather’s hand made marquetry chessboards.  I hope you like my choice for this week’s theme, and that it makes you smile!  Happy Saint Valentine’s Day!

The firm of B. Dondorf was founded in April 1833 by the lithographer Bernard Dondorf, who headed the company until July 1872. In that year, Dondorf's sons Carl and Paul, as well as his son in law Jacob Fries, assumed control of the firm which continued to operate under the original trademark. Jacob Fries left the firm in the early part of 1890. From the beginning, the company specialised in all branches of lithography. In cooperation with the printing firm of C. Naumann, Dondorf also printed paper bank notes for the Italian National Bank and for the Imperial Japanese Government. In 1871, the firm moved within Frankfurt from the Saalgasse to a new and larger factory site in the Bockenheimer Landstrasse 136. The steady growth of the company required the building of still additional subdivisions in 1890 and 1895. Principal products of the firm were playing cards, various games, greeting and post cards and various religious prints. The export of playing cards at Dondorf's accounted for much of the firm's business. The Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the period before World War I, for example, imported nearly all of their playing cards from Dondorf. Similarly, the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia were excellent customers. Bernard Dondorf, the founder died in his 94th year. He earned an enviable reputation as a lithographer, especially for his technique of etching the stone with a diamond stylus. His special methods of engraving bank notes were also unique. In 1929 the decision was reached to liquidate the firm.

The chessboard was made by my Grandfather, a skilful and creative man, in 1952.   Two chess sets, a draughts set and three chess boards made by my Grandfather were bequeathed to me as part of his estate when he died.

Taken on: February 2, 2025

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Camera: Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, 6.2mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	6.2mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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