Gibsons Games

In 1903, Harry Gibson obtained an unsecured loan of £500 from the Royal Bank of Scotland in Bishopsgate, London.[1] This allowed him to start a business, which at that time was called The International Card Co. Trading from offices in Aldersgate Street, he supplied retailers with a range of products including card games and postcards. The International Card business was sold to the De La Rue Company and H. P. Gibson & Sons Limited was formed in 1919. The International Series brand continued to be used on some products until the early 1980s, but H P Gibson & Sons Ltd made its name with the ‘HPG’ brand of indoor games, with old favourites such as L’Attaque and Dover Patrol.

The company's premises, along with its manufacturing equipment, were destroyed during the Blitz in 1940. Robert and Harry Gibson Jr., sons of the founder, re-established trading from Barrett Street in London's West End. The company continued to sell its own family games and pastimes, alongside ranges from other established names, including Waddingtons and Chad Valley. In 1966, Harry Percy's grandson, Michael Gibson joined the family business. He remembers his father paying him £11.00 a week out of which he had to pay his mother living expenses. In the late 1970s, H P Gibson & Sons shortened its name to ‘Gibsons’, and shortly after, in the early 80s, Gibsons introduced their first jigsaw puzzles.

• Jigsaw Puzzles (mostly hand drawn art, ranging from 2 to 2000 pieces)
• Board Games
  • 221b Baker Street
  • Aviation (game) (aerial version of L'Attaque)
  • Civilization
  • Diplomacy
  • Dover Patrol (game) (naval version of L'Attaque)
  • Hare and Tortoise
  • Ludo
  • L'Attaque
  • Mission Earth
  • Snakes and Ladders
  • Lotto
• Pass the Bomb
• Pass the Pud

Wintersports

• Piatnik Playing Card Range
• My World Children's Educational Games