Norwood #85, c.1909

[kevork]

For posterity's sake: https://www.wopc.co.uk/usa/the-united-s ... norwood-85

Someone on Facebook recently posted that they acquired one, potentially aside from the other 9 known to exist. These courts look incredible.

[george]

I second that, those courts are wonderful. The Starling article is a great read.

In the article he references that it was a 12 color printed deck. Does anyone have a guess how they got to the count that it was 12 colors on this deck? Careful counting and a shark eye / magnifying glass?

On the sheets I've collected I can count the swatches along the edge, typically the four CMYK and any additional spot colors, but that's not happening with the 115+ year old deck of which there are only 9!

Related... I've wondered before how Rainbow decks are printed, with 52 shades of a back design. I never see alignment issues, indicating to me that each back is printed a solid single color (no blending / halftone /etc). Surely we're not able to buy a 52 color printed deck for just minimal increase over the standard 4 color process.

Enough printing talk...

[Swiski66]

Have they reprinted this deck? Love the vintage court artwork!

[Evilgamer]

someone put some time into those.

[Eric Lee]

Dang, those are really beautiful. Those are what you call custom courts!
Anyone know Will Roya personally? Perhaps he may be willing to get the Norwood deck printed.

[Harvonsgard]

Does anyone have a guess how they got to the count that it was 12 colors on this deck?

I suspect lithography print and that with 12 colours. If you use a linen tester you can indeed count the colours.

Related... I've wondered before how Rainbow decks are printed, with 52 shades of a back design. I never see alignment issues, indicating to me that each back is printed a solid single color (no blending / halftone /etc).

I doubt they print rainbow decks with anything other than cmyk.

[kevork]

Here's some pictures from Kevan Seaney aka The Congress Guy, who found this deck for a friend. I'm wondering if it's the same person whose pictures I had initially posted in this thread.
According to him, this is only one of two known to exist with plain edges.

[acetofive]

I enjoy keeping up with the lore around this deck. Does anyone know what the current count is now? Starling's article points to "8 or 9," and accounts for the whereabouts of each one, but then in the comments someone claims to have an unconfirmed 10th sample - and that information is 7 or so years old now. A few years back Paul Bostock high bid for one during a 52+J auction - but no provenance was given at the time.

[Harvonsgard]

One of the best decks ever done. I'd kill for one.

[kevork]

Found this in the comment section of the reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/playingcards/c ... ention_in/

Does the copyright, if any, still apply? Someone should recreate this deck. If Azured Ox wanted to, I'm sure she could do this deck justice.

[Swiski66]

Any chance this deck will ever get a reprint? So many people want one...and I think even owning a repro will be OK. It's fine with me!

[A. Haines]

Yeh these are sick