VICTOR E MAUGER
1837 - 1899
A major player in the playing card business main financial backer for the NCC.
Retrorsum Nunquam….Never Backwards
Over time his contribution was lost until my research uncovered it. If you notice the symbol on his Ace of Spades it is almost identical the one used for NCC.
In 1893 Victor Mauger made a very interesting statement.......
April 27, 1893
The American Stationer
Interview With Victor Mauger
Victor E. Mauger is, after a lapse of several years, again in New York reviewing the scenes of a part of his early career. In conversation with a Stationer reporter he said: " I first suggested the manufacture of cards to Russell & Morgan, of Cincinnati. I left in 1888 and spent two years in California. Later I started the National Card Company, of which Sam Murray was the mechanical as I was the commercial head, and I now come back after my absence and find the two companies which I was instrumental in forming combined in one."
From Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards: Part 1 of 4
Victor E. Mauger was born in England and immigrated to the United States in 1855 to set up business as an importer of metal goods. In his leisure time, he supplemented his income by writing articles for the press, bringing him into contact with the printing and stationery trades. Shortly thereafter, he started importing equipment for these fields, which led to his involvement with playing cards. Initially, Goodall’s cards, which were imported and sold by Mauger commencing in 1867, were standard patterns from the Goodall range. By the early 1870’ s Goodall manufactured a special Euchre pack exclusively for America with a Goodall Ace of Spades and a multicoloured seated Joker with the inscription C. Goodall & Son, London and New York (U19c). By 1873 this enterprising man was manufacturing his own cards to complement the Goodall line (which was dropped in 1876 due to high import duties). Mauger continued making cards, in latter years under the name Victor E. Mauger & Petrie, until he sold his business to rivals Andrew Dougherty and NYCC in 1878. Ironically, in 1880 he was hired to set up the playing card department for Russell, Morgan & Co. and worked with it, and its successors, as General Agent into the 1890’ s. He finished his career back in his native England as the United Kingdom representative for USPC where he ran The American Playing Card Agency.
Note; The name "Mauger" is pronounced MOH-zhay. His father was French.
Note: His daughter Julie was married to Robert H. McCutcheon.