Welcome to the World of Playing Cards - World of Playing Cards

Many mysteries lie hidden in the pack of playing cards, which has been with us since the 14th century. What do the oldest surviving cards look like? Playing Cards have been associated with gambling and anti-social behaviour leading to their being demonised by church preachers. In Victorian family circles card games were enjoyed by the fireside.

Playing cards give us understanding of characteristic features of periods, ideas, beliefs and experiences of people in the past, reflecting past eras and ways of life. They are a lesson in craftsmanship and the assembly and combination of components and materials. They have been a focus for design, advertising or invention... a little encyclopædia of social history!

History Topics

Early XV Century Cards

Early XV Century Playing Cards Read More

Gaming & Gambling

Soon after their first appearance in Europe we hear of playing cards being banned by the authorities. Read More

Manufacturing Processes

Stencilling

Printing of Playing Cards ::: Stencilling can usually be detected by observing the outlines of the coloured areas which are often irregular with brush strokes discernible in the coloured areas. Read More

Making Cardboard

The manufacture of the cardboard used for playing cards contains a number of interesting processes Read More

New articles

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Latest updated content

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Playing cards have enormous educational value, with a long history and many different types and styles of cards from around the world. Some are historical, others are political or souvenir packs for tourists. They make us aware of the lives of people living in other places and times, and people with different values and customs. They relate to key areas of our school curriculum.

You will discover something interesting here... from what the earliest playing cards looked like to how to make your own hand-made pack or buy an unusual deck to add to your collection. Whether we consider them as a game or an artefact, as merchandise or something which unites people, there is a fascination in the imagery, the tactile pleasure, neat symmetries and quirky symbols.