Brazil Pictorial Aces
Genoese pattern with Pictorial Aces for Brazil by Brepols, Turnhout, c.1920.
Genoese pattern (Cartes Françaises) with Pictorial Aces for Brazil by Fabriques Brepols, Turnhout. These are pretty old but exact date unknown. The pictorial Aces are Brazilian locations near to Rio I believe. The back has a criss-cross pattern. During the late 19th century there was a trend for playing cards with exotic scenes on the Aces which continued well into the 20th century. Whilst business was difficult after the First World War, advertising packs were gradually increasing and Belgian manufacturers successfully exported wares such as “Cartes Portugaises ou Brésiliennes” to foreign markets, ultimately bringing the demise of the earlier Portuguese pattern which has now become extinct.
Above: Genoese pattern with artistically designed pictorial aces for Brazil by Brepols, Turnhout, c.1920.
A slightly later version
Above: Genoese pattern with Pictorial Aces for Brazil by Brepols, Turnhout, c.1930.
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
United Kingdom • 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.
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