The World of Playing Cards Logo

Léonard Biermans, Turnhout

Published April 04, 2010 Updated June 12, 2023

Léonard Biermans had been employed by Brepols from 1871-1874 before opening his own playing card factory in 1875.

1875 Belgium Biermans Moguls Quadrilato Tennis Advertising Steam-power

Léonard Biermans, Turnhout, Belgium, 1875-1970

Léonard Biermans had been employed by Brepols from 1871-1874 before opening his own steam-powered playing card factory in 1875. In 1879 he married Marie-Thérèse, daughter of Van Genechten’s manager, Charles Poupaert, so playing cards were never far from his attention. Léonard Biermans died in 1896 and the company continued as a limited company, S.A. Léonard Biermans.

Biermans initially built up trade with India and South-East Asia (Burma) and business prospered until the competition became fierce and India became independent. After that Biermans expanded into other markets, winning several exhibition medals and also registering a patent for rounded and gilded corners.

Eventually the firm was merged into Carta Mundi. The Lion (right) was one of Biermans’ many trade marks.

From the beginning Biermans produced a wide range of playing cards which were shipped all over the world. An 1877 export price-list mentions Cartes de Luxe, Impériales, Royales, Italiennes, Belges, Allemandes, Bongoût, Espagnoles, and others. After 1900 Biermans also produced Swiss, Oriental and Congress cards, English packs, Spanish packs, Chinese cards, children’s cards and domino cards. In many cases packs contained scenic aces with views of Belgium, Brasil, France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal or Holland which appealed as tourist souvenirs. See: Lion Brand No.1492 for Jet Fuels

Modern Netherlands type playing cards for Germany, c.1880

Above: finely engraved modern Netherlands type playing cards with scenic aces for Germany, stencil-coloured lithography, no indices, Biermans c.1880

Above: finely engraved modern Netherlands type playing cards with scenic aces for Germany, stencil-coloured lithography, no indices, Biermans c.1880

• See also: Biermans Scenic Aces for Brasil, c.1920

A Todos Alumbra Spanish-suited playing cards, c.1880

Above: cards from Spanish-suited pack, made in Belgium by Léonard Biermans c.1880.   more →

English playing cards, c.1878

Above: single-ended version of English pattern playing cards produced by Biermans, c.1878. Courtesy Doug Courtney.

English playing cards, c.1910

Above: double-ended version of English pattern with ace of spades mimicking the Old Frizzle duty Ace, crude quality stencilling on rough card, produced by Biermans, c.1910.

Above: “Quadrilato No.44” Genoese style playing cards manufactured by Leonard Biermans S.A. for Tunisia, c.1970.

Great Mogul Tennis playing cards, c.1926 Box from Great Mogul Tennis playing cards, c.1926

Above: Great Mogul Tennis No.1926 playing cards, c.1926.

This is a very odd deck in that some of the backs are green, some pink and some blue. It has been conjectured that the deck is a salesman’s sample deck, used to exhibit the variety of back colours available. It is strange, however, that whenever I have seen the deck for sale, it is always described as having the same variety of coloured backs. I have never found the deck with just one colour backs, always the sample version. The brand has the number 1926 which, coincidentally, is the year of the deck. The side of the box discloses that the maker is Leonard Biermans, Turnout, Belgium. Images and notes courtesy Rod Starling.

avatar
1,474 Articles

By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.

Related Articles

1990 Leadmill playing cards

Leadmill playing cards

Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.

1985 Blake et Mortimer – La Marque Jaune

Blake et Mortimer – La Marque Jaune

Blake and Mortimer comic strip characters created by Edgar P. Jacobs.

2018 Santo Mexico playing cards

Santo Mexico playing cards

Santo Mexico playing cards designed by Cédric Volon with Mexico-associated symbols.

2016 Gallia Belgica playing cards

Gallia Belgica playing cards

Gallia Belgica playing cards by Cédric Volon presenting a view of Belgian culture and folklore.

1953 Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards

Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards

Innovative advertising pack for Simpsons of Piccadilly designed by André François.

1850 Historical Characters

Historical Characters

Double-ended deck with historical characters and jacks as jesters by Daveluy, c.1850.

1873 Mademoiselle Lenormand

Mademoiselle Lenormand

XIX century ‘Mlle Lenormand’ cartomancy deck by Daveluy, Bruges.

1989 Hamlet Cigars

Hamlet Cigars

Advertising deck for “Hamlet mild cigars”, a Benson & Hedges product.

1972 Smith-Corona Marchant

Smith-Corona Marchant

Simplified yet colourful court card designs by Avoine for Smith-Corona Marchant.

2000 Austria Ski Team playing cards

Austria Ski Team playing cards

Photos of members of the Austrian skiing team replace the normal courts on two different packs.

1996 Unimog UX 100

Unimog UX 100

Cartoons promoting the Unimog UX 100, a small truck produced by Mercedes-Benz.

1996 Star Trek® – The Original Series

Star Trek® – The Original Series

Promotional pack for CIC Video with characters and starships from the original series of Star Trek. ...

Printing Presses

Printing Presses

Antique printing presses from the Turnhout Playing Card Museum collection.

Moguls, Highlanders and Merry Andrews

Moguls, Highlanders and Merry Andrews

Discover the historic origins and evolution of card naming and quality designations like ‘Moguls’ an...

1994 Medizin Skat

Medizin Skat

Promotional pack for a hospital group in the Saarland, with non-standard suits and courts designed b...

2006 Naipes Kukuxumusu

Naipes Kukuxumusu

A 52-card Spanish-suited advertising pack for a clothing company in Pamplona.