GEOFFREY PARKER - THE COMPANY

From that first chessboard, backgammon was the next obvious game where precise inlaying was de rigueur. By the early Seventies the Company had already established itself as No. 1 for luxury board games, this culminated for chess in Geoffrey being commissioned to make the leather boxes and chessboards for the Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer’s famous World Championship battle in Reykjavik. While in backgammon, the Company’s expertise was required for the Rothman World Backgammon Championship on board the fabulous QEII which sailed for a week between Southampton and New York with the world’s best players in fierce contest.

During this time the backgammon “boom” demanded “Geoffrey Parker” boards by the hundreds and his group of craftsmen and women expanded to a team of 25, each being trained “in house” to Geoffrey’s exacting standards.

To ensure he stayed ahead of the “game”, Geoffrey sought out the World’s most formidable backgammon champion, Paul Magriel to ensure that his boards matched professional requirements – together Geoffrey’s famous weighted leather backgammon stone (checker) were developed – unlike no other this unique and essential accessory, encompasses all that is at the core of The Company’s persona; precision, skill, craft and dedication to create a perfected balance playing piece of leather artistry, utilising the ancient skill of fine edging, burnishing and papier mâché and then to repeat this 30 times per set!

Almost every luxury retailer of note, commissioned The Company to create specialist game ranges, including Asprey, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Garrard, Simpson’s, Smythson, Cartier, Fred, etc. Even a “blind” backgammon was made for famous American singer, Stevie Wonder.
In 1977, Geoffrey’s son, Max joined the Company full-time, after many a school holiday being spent “helping” in the now expanded workshops. With the midget classic books still an important part of the Company, Max and Geoffrey travelled the United States to attend the American Booksellers Convention where their presence amongst the more main stream publishers caused something of a “stir”. Numerous small bookshops, to giants of the trade and famous museums and libraries bought book collections and even to this day, collectors seek us out to fill that missing volume.
Through the early Eighties, visits to the States continued with the games and books featuring in famous department stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and Bergdorf Goodman amongst others. A stunning centre piece to Neiman Marcus’ premier Dallas store was Geoffrey’s Design Council award winning solid Sterling silver-gilt chess set, made for the HM The Queen’s Silver Jubilee – still available today (see under “chess”) retailing back then for $20,000!
Trips were then made to the Far East taking in Hong Kong and Singapore where the Company’s skills were sought by luxury hotels, where Geoffrey Parker’s work was employed to create specialist menu and wine list and VIP gift giving requirements for such hotel luminaries as The Mandarin Hong Kong, the Intercontinental group, and famous clubs such as the Hong Kong Club and Jockey Club. In the US the Willard Hotel in Washington DC and Le Grenouille restaurant in New York added to this side of the Company as did such well known names in London’s Mayfair of The Connaught, Grosvenor House Hotel and The White Elephant Club.

Towards the end of the eighties, a concerted effort was made to offer our work to the corporate sector – commercial giants such as BP, Motorola, Conde Nast and many others commissioned the Company to make specialist items for chairman to chairman gifts or for a company incentives. Ranges were also created for famous car marques Aston Martin Lagonda and Jaguar motors.
It was during this time that Max gave the Company its first taste of retail, by opening a Geoffrey Parker store within the world famous “Golden Triangle” of luxury shopping in Beverly Hills. This gave the Company the invaluable inside knowledge gleaned from its customers, of what THEY actually wanted, not what stores wanted to sell them. Many new items were subsequently introduced, none less important than the introduction of our first licensed game, Scrabble™.

During this period our bespoke service was gainfully employed on a number of important projects; from making a facsimile of George Washington’s campaign briefcase for the Smithsonian Institute in DC, a casket for the regalia of an ancient London Livery Company, the Royal Vintners Company, to two giant library tables covered in 8 full cow hides for the Royal Academy to a special photograph album for Her Majesty The Queen celebrating the moment when the Mall was filled with golden Daffodils.
London’s famous gaming houses, sought their “soft gaming” requirements from Geoffrey Parker as well as their VIP/high roller gift giving needs. These great casino clubs include The Ritz, Crockfords and Aspinalls, amongst others.

By now Geoffrey had passed the reins over to Max for the day to day running, whilst still bringing his considerable design knowledge to new projects that Max was introducing. Due to Geoffrey’s “retirement” Max decided to close the Beverly Hills store, so as to concentrate on the core manufacturing business. A luxury version of the eastern game of Mah Jong was made, with playing pieces sourced in the deepest Orient. Monopoly™ and Trivial Pursuit™ luxury licenses were obtained.

Dr Aldo Gucci commissioned the Company to produce a range of games for his famous luxury design house – something of a coup for a non-Italian producer. Tiffany turned to us for a range of travel games, as did the most luxurious modes of travel, the celebrated Venice Simplon Orient Express train.
Many other commissions followed, culminating a year ago in the Company producing the World’s most expensive game ever made, a jewel encrusted and Alligator bound Monopoly™ set.
Recently Cluedo™ (Clue™ in the U.S.) has been added to our traditional game range. Even giant carpet dominoes and inlaid leather Frisbee™ have added to an already amazing range of products.
Collections of these wonderful pieces have been combined to create compendia, par excellence – our 12 game “Ultimate Game Table” and 15 game cube illustrate that we do not compromise on compendia as found in so many other collections available.

Geoffrey sadly passed away in December 2000, but his ethos, perfectionism and demand that each product be both elegant and excellent is instilled in each member of the Company who will not waiver from these core values. It is hoped that we may continue to find customers who appreciate the same in a World so full these days of mass produced “throw away” items.