Below: two versions of trump no.15 depicting the Thorvaldsen Museum, completed in 1848. In the Salomon editions (right), Arabic numerals replace the Roman ones.

Images courtesy Hans Jørgen Hinrup and notes taken from his article published in The Playing-Card Vol.31, no.5, IPCS London, March-Apr 2003.

By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
View ArticlesCurator 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.
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Dronning Margrethe II
Elegant, elongated cards designed by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Nederlands Stedenkwartet
Nederlands Stedenkwartet with heraldic needlepoint patterns by Permin, c.1970.

Cartas Gitanas
The designs of these fortune-telling cards are largely taken from nineteenth century Austrian "Rural Scenes" Tarock cards.

Tarok c.1900
Piatnik & Söhne “Industrie und Glück” Tarok c.1905-1910.

Warburg’s Danske
Warburg’s Danske playing cards published by Aktieselskabet Emil Jensen, København, 1944.

Warburg’s Skandinaviske Bridge Kort
“Warburg’s Skandinaviske Bridge Kort” published by Aktieselskabet Emil Jensen, København, c.1935.

Standard Handa Pattern
Standard Danish playing cards made by Handa, Copenhagen.

Bjørn Wiinblad
Bjørn Wiinblad (1918-2006) was a Danish painter, designer and ceramics artist.

Jugendstil Tarock
‘Jugendstil Tarock’ was designed by Ditha Moser and first published by Albert Berger and Josef Glanz in 1906.

Animal Tarot
Woodblock and stencil Animal Tarot cards, probably of German origin, 2nd half 18th century.

P. Steinmann
Single-figure provincial Paris pattern cards with traditional names on the courts manufactured in Copenhagen by P. Steinmann, c.1820.

Gnav
cards from an early 'Gnav' game made by C.L.Keiblinger, Copenhagen c.1860

C.L.Keiblinger, Copenhagen 1852-85
C.L.Keiblinger, Copenhagen 1852-85

The Game of Four Queens
In 1988 the Danish School of Design set the examination project to design a pack of playing cards. Thomas Damkier designed this royalty deck, called “Dronningespillet” (Game of Queens).

Jacob Holmblad c.1830
An amazing difference can be seen between the early and the later Jacob Holmblad packs, covering a time span of only 17 years.

Jacob Holmblad, 1820s
The Q♥ has a butterfly net in which she has caught four hearts. Many of Holmblad's designs were replaced or changed in different editions, but this design was not used again.

Jacob Holmblad c.1820
Standard woodblock and stencil deck produced by Jacob Holmblad with double-ended court cards in the tradition of the French ‘Paris’ pattern. The A♥ features a red over-stamp referring to Jacob Holmblad's royal license to print playing-cards which had been granted in 1820.

Holmblad Animal Tarot
Instead of the old emblematic designs, the trump cards show illustrations of animals, which could possibly have symbolic meanings or moralizing interpretations.

L. P. Holmblad, c.1845
Holmblad ordered his earlier designs to be re-drawn and updated. Comparison of packs from this era show instances where one figure is replaced by another more imposing version.

Christian IV Anniversary
King Christian IV anniversary pack, designed by Thora Fisker and printed by L. Jevison Junior, 1988.

L. P. Holmblad c.1840
L. P. Holmblad's house pattern used from c.1840. The K♠ carries a harp as in the traditional French-type cards; but the J♠ is sleeping with his arms folded and his shield resting behind him.

Warburg Luxus Bridgekort
“Luxus Bridgekort” was specially designed by Barbara MacDonald in a vibrant Art Deco style for Warburg of Denmark in c.1930, and printed by Universal Playing Card Co. Ltd (England).

Soldaten Tarock
Piatnik was known for their magnificent quality of chromo-lithographic printing, and this facsimile, or reprint, of “Soldaten Tarock No. 217” is virtually as magnificent as the original.

L'Hombre No.60
Dondorf's “L'Hombre No.60” was manufactured for the Danish firm Adolph Wulff of Copenhagen between c.1910-1930.

Whist No.80
Stylistically, the deck fits easily into the Dondorf “luxury card” group. The deck was produced for the Danish firm Adolph Wulff of Copenhagen in c.1928-35.

Luxuskarte No.75
Stylistically, the deck fits easily into the Dondorf “luxury card” group. The deck has been produced for the Danish firm Adolph Wulff of Copenhagen, also for F. Tilgmann in Helsinki, and a Swedish version by Öberg & Son, Stockholm.

Dondorf Tarot Aces
The four suits are associated with four countries: Clubs = Germany, Diamonds = UK, Spades = Russia and Hearts = France.

Dondorf Tarot
Dondorf's “Microscopique Tarock“ was first published in c.1870. The scenes portrayed at each end of the trump cards are marvels of miniature graphic artwork and printing.

Bourgeois Tarot
Bourgeois Tarot by Vereinigte Altenburger und Stralsunder Spielkarten-Fabriken.

Verkehrte-Welt-Tarock
"Verkehrte-Welt-Tarock” (reverse world ?) manufactured by Christian Theodor Sutor (fl. 1823-1854), Naumburg, around 1850.

Johann Herrl
Tarock deck made by Johann Herrl in Graz 1815.

Holmblads No. 121
Holmblads No. 121 made by John Waddington, England, for Denmark

Piatnik Tarock
Deck of "Industrie und Glück" or "Rural Scenes" tarock cards manufactured by Ferd Piatnik & Söhne, Vienna, c.1910.

Tarock Cards
The earliest Tarot decks originated in Italy in the fifteenth century, with Italian suit symbols. However the game was very popular elsewhere and tarots with French suit signs, usually called "tarok" or "tarock", appeared around 1750 which are now mainly produced in Austria.

Estel Tarok
J. Estel Tarok, 1820.

Pittner Tarok
Ferd Pittner, Tarok Cards

Western PCC
The Western Playing Card Company was formed in 1927. The exact history and origins are not clear.

King Christian of Denmark
In 1935 a souvenir pack of playing cards to celebrate the King's 65th birthday was commissioned from the British firm of De La Rue.

L. P. Holmblad - Denmark
Cards from c.1850 by L. P. Holmblad showing fantasy historical Danish Kings and Queens.

Taroquis ‘Obelisco’
78-card 'Taroquis Marca Obelisco' published by Mario Colombo, Buenos Aires, during the 1950s, 60s & 70s, in the style known as "Tarocco Piemontese" which had been developed by Italian cardmakers during the nineteenth century.