Vesalius Anatomy Card Game

This is a combination of a Happy Families or quartet game and a regular pack of playing cards. The aim of the Muscular Happy Families game is to collect all four muscles of one body part. The illustrations are taken from De Humanis Corporis Fabrica by Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) and shown against buff-coloured backgrounds. Up-to-date internationally approved terminology is used. The 2 Jokers feature a skeleton. The backs of the two extra cards differ from the rest of the pack. See the box►

Above: 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 2 extra cards with text + fold-out leaflet in tuck box. Published by the Cardozo Kindersley Workshop, Cambridge, UK, 2014. Size: 56 x 87 mm. Maker unknown.

See the fold-out leaflet►

By Roddy Somerville

Member since May 31, 2022

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Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.