Henry Hart
Henry Hart was a well-known London playing-card maker of the 18th Century. He was probably born in 1716 and christened in the Holy Sepulchre Church, which is the burial place of Captain Smith of Pocahontas fame.
Hart was one of four card makers who appeared registered in 1763 with his (probably father) John. Their business on Lambs Conduit Street (Red Lion Square) in London had probably already been around for a while. John would die in 1767 and Henry would continue until going bankrupt in 1797. He likely died in 1801, the only potential match found in the burial records. He would then have been 85.
Hart was one of four card makers who appeared registered in 1763 with his (probably father) John. Their business on Lambs Conduit Street (Red Lion Square) in London had probably already been around for a while. John would die in 1767 and Henry would continue until going bankrupt in 1797. He likely died in 1801, the only potential match found in the burial records. He would then have been 85.
Why then do people think his cards were also made in New York City? Because of these....
Card Wrappers of Henry Hart"s London Made Cards and Henry Hart"s New York City Made Cards
Did Henry Hart have a business in New York City? Yes, Henry Hart did.
The first appearance of Henry Hart in New York City is in 1806. He is living at 106 Maiden Lane and his occupation is listed as a Profile Taker. This occupation is described in an old history book of Barnstead, New Hampshire (1727-1872);
"Perhaps not less strangely different is our present art in painting or taking pictures. Some of us this day can well remember the old Profile Taker as he passed from house to house with his neat little box which contained his picture frames, his black paper, etcetera, and his scissors with which to take a side view of the face and all at the small price of one shilling and sixpence."
The next year Henry moved to 75 1/2 Chatham (Now Park Row) and had a bookstore to supplement his profile business. But, in July 1808 his business failed and he lost his lease. He then moved down the street to number 117 and opened a bookstore and circulating library.
Circulating libraries offered an alternative in the 18th and 19th centuries to the large number of readers who could not afford the price of new books but also desired to quench their desire for new material. Many circulating libraries were perceived as the provider of sensational novels to a female clientele, but that was not always the case. Many private circulating libraries were created for scientific and/or literary audiences. Sometimes they required a substantial subscription that many lower-class readers couldn't afford.
In 1810 he moved down Chatham Street to number 73 and opened a jewelry and fancy store. It is at this time we learn important information about Henry when he appears in the Federal Census. Henry is listed as the head of the household with nine other people.
The New York City Federal Census of Ward 4 where Chatham Street was located
HENRY HART
2 Males Under 10 (Born between 1800-1810)
2 Males 16-25 (Born between 1785-1794)
2 Males 26-44 (Born between 1766-1784) Henry is one of these males.
1 Female 10-15 (Born between 1795-1800)
2 Females 16-25 (Born between 1785-1794)
1 Other Free Person (African-American. Servant?)
The first appearance of Henry Hart in New York City is in 1806. He is living at 106 Maiden Lane and his occupation is listed as a Profile Taker. This occupation is described in an old history book of Barnstead, New Hampshire (1727-1872);
"Perhaps not less strangely different is our present art in painting or taking pictures. Some of us this day can well remember the old Profile Taker as he passed from house to house with his neat little box which contained his picture frames, his black paper, etcetera, and his scissors with which to take a side view of the face and all at the small price of one shilling and sixpence."
The next year Henry moved to 75 1/2 Chatham (Now Park Row) and had a bookstore to supplement his profile business. But, in July 1808 his business failed and he lost his lease. He then moved down the street to number 117 and opened a bookstore and circulating library.
Circulating libraries offered an alternative in the 18th and 19th centuries to the large number of readers who could not afford the price of new books but also desired to quench their desire for new material. Many circulating libraries were perceived as the provider of sensational novels to a female clientele, but that was not always the case. Many private circulating libraries were created for scientific and/or literary audiences. Sometimes they required a substantial subscription that many lower-class readers couldn't afford.
In 1810 he moved down Chatham Street to number 73 and opened a jewelry and fancy store. It is at this time we learn important information about Henry when he appears in the Federal Census. Henry is listed as the head of the household with nine other people.
The New York City Federal Census of Ward 4 where Chatham Street was located
HENRY HART
2 Males Under 10 (Born between 1800-1810)
2 Males 16-25 (Born between 1785-1794)
2 Males 26-44 (Born between 1766-1784) Henry is one of these males.
1 Female 10-15 (Born between 1795-1800)
2 Females 16-25 (Born between 1785-1794)
1 Other Free Person (African-American. Servant?)
So now we know our New York City Henry Hart is not our London Henry Hart. This household appears to be two families. Boarders or relatives of Henry's? We will never know.
A year later Henry disappears from the city directory. Interestingly there were two other Harts (Catherine and Dr. Thomas) listed on Chatham within a block of him during all this time. They also disappeared at this time.
No record of any kind of Henry has been found after this until 1819 when a Henry Hart is listed in the City Directory again. This man is a Dry Goods Merchant at 10 ½ Division Street. This Henry happens to appear in an 1819 survey of all men in New York City to see who is eligible for jury duty. The record states he is 30 years old so he is not the previous Henry.
This Henry does have a playing card connection though. Records of the Boston playing card maker Jazaniah Ford show that he shipped Henry some of his cards to sell in 1826. At that time Henry had a Fancy Goods store on Broadway.
"The Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards" lists the only known Henry Hart deck as;
U39 HIGHLANDERS, Henry Hart, c1810. While we have not been able to locate a copy of this deck, we assume it exists because of the pictured wrapper.
A year later Henry disappears from the city directory. Interestingly there were two other Harts (Catherine and Dr. Thomas) listed on Chatham within a block of him during all this time. They also disappeared at this time.
No record of any kind of Henry has been found after this until 1819 when a Henry Hart is listed in the City Directory again. This man is a Dry Goods Merchant at 10 ½ Division Street. This Henry happens to appear in an 1819 survey of all men in New York City to see who is eligible for jury duty. The record states he is 30 years old so he is not the previous Henry.
This Henry does have a playing card connection though. Records of the Boston playing card maker Jazaniah Ford show that he shipped Henry some of his cards to sell in 1826. At that time Henry had a Fancy Goods store on Broadway.
"The Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards" lists the only known Henry Hart deck as;
U39 HIGHLANDERS, Henry Hart, c1810. While we have not been able to locate a copy of this deck, we assume it exists because of the pictured wrapper.
If we go with that date, then our Chatham Street Henry Hart is the maker. I have not found any documentation or ads about the cards being made or sold. Henry was not a printer or engraver. Then again the wrapper does say "Made and Sold" by him. And he had a fancy store in 1810 that would have been a place to buy playing cards. Had the encyclopedia researchers already found this same information?
ONE LAST MYSTERY
One last Henry Hart mystery concerns his playing card wrapper. These two are proven English Henry Hart's wrappers......
Then we have this American made wrapper design by Alexander Anderson.......
I say "design" because it was not found on an actual playing card wrapper. This design appears in a scrapbook of work done by a famous engraver named Alexander Anderson of New York City. The first known mention of the wrapper is in Catherine Perry Hargrave's 1930 book "A History of Playing Cards and a Bibliography of Cards and Gaming" on page 318.
Dr. Alexander Anderson (April 21, 1775 – January 17, 1870) was a physician and illustrator. He was born in New York City and at the age of twelve he made his first attempts at engraving on copper, frequently using pennies rolled out, and on type-metal plates. He received no instruction, and his knowledge was acquired by watching jewelers and other workmen. Anderson published his first work in Arnaud Bernaud's "The Looking Glass of the Mind" in 1794.
However, he was urged by his parents to pursue a career in medicine. He apprenticed with Dr. William Smith at fourteen and received his license at twenty. He became the first doctor at what would become Bellevue Hospital, established to deal with an outbreak of yellow fever in New York City in 1795. When the epidemic ended, he sought an academic degree in medicine, married, became a father, and opened a medical office. However, he soon abandoned this office in favor of a shop "that sold children's books he engraved". He graduated from Columbia College in 1796 with an M.D..
Another outbreak of yellow fever began in 1798, and Anderson returned to Bellevue as the resident physician. He resigned a few weeks later after his three-month-old son, brother, and father all died in the epidemic. His wife and mother died soon afterward. Anderson then became an engraver and was termed "America's First Illustrator".
He is one of the earliest American wood engravers. He produced works for books, periodicals, and newspapers. Anderson was the author of the cartoon Ograbme, a spoof on the Embargo Act of 1807. He confined himself to wood engraving from 1820 and was an engraver for the American Tract Society for several years. His work includes illustrations for Bewick's "Birds"; illustration for Webster's Speller, and forty engravings for an edition of Shakespeare.
The New York Public Library has copies of sixteen scrapbooks, containing close to 10,000 wood-engraving proofs by Anderson in their digital collection. This is where Hargrave found the engraving by Anderson.
My question is; "Is the design just something Anderson did for a sample or did he produce it for a deck of cards?"
I feel it was just a sample and our NYC Henry Hart just happens to fit the timeline. The English Henry Hart's cards were sold in New York City and could have been known by Anderson. Hargrave found this design on the same scrapbook page as the John Casenave wrapper design. This high-quality design is much better than the actual wrapper that was discovered later.
What do you think?
If you want to see Anderson's engraving scrapbooks just click on the link below....