Andrew Dougherty
Playing Cards, History, America 19th Century

Andrew Dougherty began making playing cards in 1842, in what has been described as a crude workshop in Brooklyn, New York. Although he would become a considerable player in America’s card making history, it would be some time before he ever produced cards of comparable quality to those of Lewis I. Cohen.

His earliest cards came out with wrappers decorated with the familiar Eagle, and branded "American Cards". By 1858 he was expanding his enterprise and moving to new premises, and continued manufacturing American Cards wrapped in his trade mark eagle.

Dougherty also made an edition of "Illuminated Great Moguls" (1865), which were similar to the gold decorated playing cards made by Cohen (1845). During the Civil War, in rebuke to players like Goodall of London, who draped a Confederate flag on their cards, Dougherty brought out his with the Union's stars and stripes decorating the backs. And he also made a pack of Civil War cards, which he called "Army and Navy Cards" (1865).

In 1872 Dougherty built a new factory in Center Street, and from there produced cards that were double-ended, and had rounded corners, an innovation he never failed to advertise. However, the earliest examples were still published without indices. It was not until the late 70s that corner-side indices would come into to standard production.

Around 1875 Dougherty published "Triplicate Cards". These were cards with miniatures in the corner that acted as indices. A comparable innovation was being marketed by the New York Consolidated Card Company, called “Sqeezers”. A tacit understanding of the sales territory between the two rivals is commemorated in a card back of 1877, showing two bulldogs straining at their leashes, one collar says “Squeezer, the other “Trip”.

In 1896 Andrew Dougherty transferred the business to his three sons who continued to publish all the Dougherty brands.

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