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

Court Cards

The court cards in English packs of playing cards derive from models produced by Pierre Marechal in Rouen around 1565. Read More

History of Playing Cards

Early History of Playing Cards: The Origins of Playing Cards, an on-line tutorial covering the early history of playing-cards. Read More

Editor's Picks

Latin America

Playing cards had been introduced to the Americas with explorers such as Columbus or Cortés, whose fellow countrymen were keen gamblers. 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

Chas Goodall and Son

Today nothing remains of Charles Goodall's Camden Works, where three-quarters of the playing cards printed in Britain were once produced Read More

The Joker card

The "Joker" is believed to have been invented by American Euchre players who, when modifying the rules sometime during the 1860s, decided that an extra trump card was required. Read More

T a r o t

Italy is said to be the birthplace of the tarot, which according to playing-card historians was originally a card game invented in the fifteenth century. Read More

Joan Barbot, c.1765

Joan Barbot, San Sebastian c.1765 Read More

Manufacturing Processes

Manufacture of Cards

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

Making Cardboard

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