Irish Historic
Irish Historic Playing Cards celebrating history and art, 1920.
Irish Historic Playing Cards, 1920
published by W & G Baird Ltd, Belfast and printed by the Irish Playing Card Mfg Co., Cork, 1920-30.
See also: Irish Heroic pack • Celtic Mythology playing cards
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.
His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.
Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.
Trending Articles
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds
A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.
Not the Iraqi Most Wanted playing cards
Fifty-five Irish heroes and villains, some ancient but mostly modern.
Le jeu des 7 Familles ’Utuafare
Colourful Happy Families game from Tahiti depicting costumes from different archipelagoes.
Mohegan Sun playing cards
Mohegan Sun playing cards published by Gemaco for Mohegan Sun casino.
Heathen Wars
German-suited ‘Heathen War’ playing cards published by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, c.1820.
Pendleton playing cards
Pendleton playing cards inspired by indigenous American artwork, USA, 2019.
Malam playing cards
Malam playing cards created by Michael Muldoon, USA, 2015.
Costumes des Peuples Étrangers
Costumes des Peuples Étrangers & Jeu d’Or dedicated to young people and likely used for games and fo...
Shamrock Irish Heritage playing cards
A celebration of some of Ireland’s most famous patriots, politicians and poets.
Race Card
‘Race Card’ playing cards published by the Concept Card Co., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Hawaiian playing cards
Hawaiian playing cards in the style of classic Hawaiian wood carvings, USA, 2015.
South American Costumes
Costumes of people of Brazil, Peru and Mexico, with views of Rio de Janeiro on the aces.
Baraxa Galega
Baraxa Galega designed by F. Perez Llamosas and published by Naipes Heraclio Fournier, 1983.
Seven Seas Maori Playing Cards
A Gift from New Zealand
African art playing cards
African art and symbolism on playing cards designed by John J. Beckvermit III, USA, 1994.
Pacific Northwest native Indian masks
Pacific Northwest native Indian masks with artwork by Margaret Parrott, USA, 1992.
Ethiopian playing cards
A pack with court cards reflecting different ethnic and cultural groups found in Ethiopia.
Jeu de Cartes de Tahiti
Courts and Aces inspired by Polynesian history and culture designed by Michèle Feltrin.
Arthurian by Kings Wild Project
Arthurian Playing Cards by Kings Wild Project, a luxury playing card deck designed by Jackson Robins...
Tarabish
A special pack of playing cards for an unusual game played almost exclusively in Cape Breton, Nova S...
Nipponia Playing Cards
Nipponia Playing Cards are a Japanese-themed playing cards featuring samurai, kunoichi and oiran. De...
Maori playing cards
Maori playing cards from New Zealand.
The Times of Kamehameha The Great
Figures from Hawaiian history and scenes of everyday life designed by Joseph Feher.
Africa playing cards
According to the United Nations there are 54 countries on the continent of Africa
Drum playing cards
Drum playing cards depicting demographically diverse Africans of different ethnicities.
African Renaissance Deck
African Renaissance Deck published for Nkosi's Haven, South Africa, 2000.
Traditional Nomadic Life of Mongolia
Playing cards depicting paintings of Traditional Nomadic Life of Mongolia.
Playing cards from Suriname
Playing cards reflecting the history and culture of Suriname, on the northeastern coast of South Ame...
Karata playing cards
Karata playing cards produced in Nairobi, c. 1970.
Tanisa cartes à jouer
“Tanisa cartes à jouer” published by Colormad, Madagascar.
Habesha playing cards
Habesha playing cards published by “Ethiopian Reflection”
Hotel Lena
Hotel Lena playing cards published by Bichik in Yakutsk in 2001.
Juego de Naipes Andalusí
Andalusian playing cards designed by Marifé Montoya Carrillo with booklet by Jorge Lirola Delgado, 2...
Inka Naipe Souvenir
54 colour photographs of costumes and artefacts connected with the Inca civilisation, unknown publis...
Rapalje
Promotional pack for a Dutch Celtic folk band which performs Irish, Scottish and Dutch folk music, c...
San Playing Cards
Rock paintings and engravings of the San people, better known as the “Bushmen”.
Martinique
Original designs from the French overseas department of Martinique by local artist Martine Porry.
Happy Playing Cards
Cheerful, colourful designs on handmade paper from Nepal.
Estonian Ethnographic Playing Cards
Estonian national costumes and everyday items feature on this pack made in Estonia.
Ganjifa™
A colourful pack of round cards with Ganjifa designs by Asha Industries, Mumbai, India, 2002.
Playing Cards from Mauritius
Pack designed for La Maison de L’Artisanat Ltée, Mauritius, by Hervé de Cotter.