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

Master PW Circular Cards

Master PW Circular Playing Cards: roses, columbines, carnations, parrots and hares... everyday objects suggesting the natural world of life and fertility. Read More

XV Century Italian

Early form of north Italian playing cards, with the swords back-to-back and curved outwards. Believed to be Venetian, dated 1462. Read More

Editor's Picks

Joan Barbot, c.1765

Joan Barbot, San Sebastian c.1765 Read More

Cries of London, 1754

The theme of street cries has been popular with writers, composers, artists, and the public at large for almost 500 years. Read More

History of Waddington's

History of Waddington's Playing Cards. John Waddington Limited was a leading producer of playing cards and card games in the UK during the period 1922-1995. Read More

Alf Cooke

History of Alf Cooke's Playing Cards, c.1920-1970 Read More

Spanish Playing Cards

Naipes Españoles. Spain has played a pivotal role in the history of playing cards in Europe and Latin America. Read More

Cartomancy

Playing cards are used for fortune-telling, predicting the future or even as a psychological adjunct to folk medicine and therapy. The tradition goes back many centuries. Read More

Manufacturing Processes

Manufacture of Cards

Article about Manufacture of Playing Cards, 1825: pasting, stencilling, polishing, cutting, etc. Read More

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

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, try your luck on www.galacasino.co.uk 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.