Alas, despite my 19 Congress decks from around 1900, I do not have an original Congress deck with a Dundreary joker. I do have a used Dundreary joker with some charming markings on it.
Lord Dundreary was the joker for Congress decks from 1881 until the late 1890s. Dundreary was a popular character from “Our American Cousin” played on Broadway by Edward Askew Sothern. Lord Dundreary who first appeared in 1858, was a good-natured brainless pretentious British aristocratic character.There's the eye card which I can't decide if it counts as a joker or not. Why didn't they put the word joker on it and save me the agony of deciding?
Oct 2023 - Auction action update. There was a nice old deck, late 1800, in the 52 Plus Joker auction. Good condition. I decided to bid on it since I really wanted a real Dundreary deck and joker. I decided to bid up to $500. The bidding ended up being me and the Congress Guy. I dropped out at $475. So I'm still looking.
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My 19 ~1900 Congress decks of cards
My Congress Jokers
Famous Historic Americans