Latest Articles
Archives
2024 100 Articles
April 2024 26 Articles
Uncut Sheet by Johann Jobst Forster
A proof sheet containing twelve court cards of conventional French type.
Miniature spanish-suited playing cards
Pack of 48 miniature spanish playing-cards published by C R.
Sweetule Natural History cards
Small cards featuring natural history subjects, given away with packets of sweet cigarettes.
Laughing Made Easy
a Victorian card game published by D. Ogilvy.
Lend Me Five Shillings
or “Her Majesty’s Privy Purse” - a merry round-the-table game published by D. Ogilvy.
Eves Playing Cards
A pack of cards with colour photos of Indian film stars from the era
Poker Lusso
Richly costumed courts on a luxury poker pack from Masenghini.
Classic Card Games for Kids
A boxed set of playing cards, Happy Families and an alphabet pack with rules for 22 games.
Music playing cards
Portraits of 13 classical music composers.
L Day
Antique cards forming a composite pack by L.Day, Kingdom of Ireland, 1780.
Les plaques émaillées d’Antoine Vollon
54 different enamel plaques depicting silk manufacture, by the Lyon artist Antoine Vollon.
Asha Industries’ Castilian pattern
Colourful Spanish (Castilian) pattern cards made by Asha Industries in India for Mexico.
Le Roi bridge
Reprint of a Piatnik (Budapest) pack of 1927 with Hungarian historical figures and scenic aces.
Manara: baraja de poker
Exotic illustrations by Italian comic book artist and writer Milo Manara.
Club Soft Drinks
Promotional pack for Club soft drinks with amusing illustrations of different kinds of ‘club’.
Mit Rhino auftrumpfen
Black rhinos on a publicity pack for Armstrong, a flooring company, with comic designs by Pit Flick.
Valhalla spillekort
Characters from the Valhalla comics, designed by Peter Madsen, as commemorated on a Danish stamp.
So-Lah – A Game of Music
An early 20th century domino-type musical card game by Goodall.
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
American teen film depicting students staging their last spring musical.
Word Making and Word Taking
How crossword and spelling games became popular.
Pinocchio playing cards
Comic book drawings inspired by Carlo Collodi’s children’s classic, Pinocchio.
Marmite
Fifty-Four images celebrating a UK savoury spread, that has been around one hundred and twenty two years! It's about time!
Le Ore playing cards
Caricatures of famous personalities from the late 1970s for the Italian magazine Le Ore.
G&G Armament playing cards
G&G Armament Airsoft replica gun playing cards from Taiwan.
Carte Romantiche Italiane
Scenes of life and the theatre in Milan towards the second half of the 19th century.
Walt Disney Cards II
Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and other familiar Disney characters.
March 2024 55 Articles
Postabank 3
Caricatures of German personalities on a promotional pack for a Hungarian commercial bank.
Whatever you’re up to, stay safe
Safety advice playing cards by New Zealand Police and the Wellington City Council.
Managing cards without corner indices
For many hundreds of years cards had no corner indices, were square cut and mostly made from card without the smooth, slippery surfaces we enjoy today.
Guanlangaoshou / Slam Dunk playing cards
Basketball-themed manga animated playing cards from Japan.
Postabank 1
Caricatures of Hungarian politicians on a promotional pack for a commercial bank.
Le Jeu des Musiciens
Artist Silvia Maddonni’s gently humorous take on musicians and their instruments.
Absolut Deck
Promotional deck published for Absolut Vodka in Sweden.
Lo Stampatore
‘Lo Stampatore’ linocut images created by Sergio Favret, published as a deck of cards by Editions Solleone / Vito Arienti in 1977.
Les Saints Guérisseurs et Protecteurs
Healing and patron saints portrayed in paintings, manuscripts, altarpieces and statuary.
Scenic Views of Australia
54 different scenic views of Australia in full colour.
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland collector’s edition with illustrations of characters from the film, published by Fournier, Spain, 2010.
Ulysses a Vau-de-Ville
the James Joyce cards with drawings by Rosita Fanto.
Kuzco, l’empereur mégalo
Notched cards featuring toys representing characters from the Disney film Kuzco, as offered by McDonald’s.
The Beatles playing cards
Two packs featuring photos of The Beatles issued by the same publisher in 2004 and 2005.
Nepali children
Photographs of Nepali children offering glimpses of joy, hope and the beauty of life.
Women by Royo
‘Women by Royo’ erotic playing cards published by Heraclio Fournier, Spain, 2001.
Costume Playing Cards
Four centuries of costumes from the Costume Court at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Hilti I
Promotional pack for Hilti power tools, with courts in medieval costume and non-standard pips.
Monuments de Paris
‘Monuments de Paris’ souvenir playing cards produced by Heraclio Fournier, c.1964.
Transair
Humorous designs promoting Transair, a German charter flight operator.
Leonardo collection
Leonardo collection playing cards with drawings from his notebooks.
Merz Pharma Skat
Comic designs promoting Merz Pharma, a German drug company.
Lo Cartescacco / Chess playing cards
Playing cards designed by F. Romagnoli bringing together Chess and Bridge, Italy, c. 1981.
escART, ec-ART, SKAT
Fully illustrated pack printed from etchings by Johannes Vennekamp.
Frauejass
‘Frauejass / le Jass au féminin’ designed by Susan Csomor, Switzerland, c. 1998.
Not the Iraqi Most Wanted playing cards
Fifty-five Irish heroes and villains, some ancient but mostly modern.
Commoners playing cards
Created by Ian Cumpstey dedicated to the common land and the countryside.
Feh Schnapskarten
Colourful promotional pack for Feh household and toilet papers.
Liber Ludorum
Liber Ludorum playing cards created by Ian Cumpstey in the insular style, United Kingdom, 2019.
Hansaplast®
Advertising pack for Hansaplast, with comic courts sporting sticking plasters.
Pike and Clover playing cards
Pike and Clover playing cards created by Ian Cumpstey, Cumbria, UK, 2018.
Lorilleux International
Promotional pack for Lorilleux International’s Lotus inks, with designs by James Hodges.
Les Tontons du Rock
Caricatures of rock and pop stars in black and white by Charles Da Costa.
Inglewood Hunting Deck
Inglewood Hunting Deck created by Ian Cumpstey, United Kingdom, 2023.
B. Braun-Dexon®
Publicity pack promoting B. Braun-Dexon’s atraumatic needles, with non-standard courts and pips.
Bibaraja
Amusing designs of boys as circus performers by Alberto Muñiz Sánchez.
Zodiaque
“Les Signes du Zodiaque” playing cards designed by Youdi des Aubrys.
Peintres Latino Americains
Original artwork by 18 different Latin American artists.
British Monarchs
Commemorating the royal wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer on the 29th July 1981.
54 Affiches Retro
54 different old French advertising posters, mainly for travel and health products.
Il Vostro Destino
Italian fortune-telling pack produced by Viassone and later by Masenghini.
Jeu de la Belle Epoque
Jeu de la Belle Epoque, remembering a golden age of optimism, progress and elegance.
Past Masters’ Association Presentation Pack
The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards Past Masters’ Association Presentation Pack, 2013.
Paco Lobo
Highly original and striking designs by Paco Lobo for the fashion house of the same name.
Correspondances
‘Correspondances’ depicting the 52 transfer stations of the Paris Métropolitain, France, 1985.
Loewe: Moda Europea Siglo XVII
Luxury pack for the Spanish fashion house Loewe, with 17th century costume designs by Margot Hamilton Hill.
Jeu Gothique
‘Jeu Gothique’ illustrating the Gothic period in France, published by Editions Dusserre.
Burgundy pattern
The old Burgundy (or Burgundian) pattern by Nicolas Chenevet, Dijon.
Toros: De El Cordobés a Espartaco
Publicity pack for the Spanish newspaper Ya with caricatures of famous bullfighters by Fernando Vinyes.
Baraja de Alava
55 different paintings by Emilio Lope depicting the history and culture of Vitoria and the province of Álava.
Jeu Bonaparte
Jeu Bonaparte depicting the extended family of Napoleon Bonaparte, France, 1978
Jeu du Bicentenaire de la Révolution Française
Pack created by Yannick Pennanguer commemorating the bicentenary of the French Revolution and the centenary of L’Est Républicain.
Jeu des Bonnets Phrygiens
Reproduction of Jeu des Bonnets Phrygiens relating to the Phrygian cap (or liberty cap), France, 1988.
Sweden playing cards
Named characters from Swedish history.
San Paolo Shakespeare
San Paolo Shakespeare, Italy, 1978
February 2024 19 Articles
Romania playing cards
Romanian voivodes and their wives from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Dutch Court playing cards
Games & Print Services’ version of the Dutch pattern.
Le jeu des 7 Familles ’Utuafare
Colourful Happy Families game from Tahiti depicting costumes from different archipelagoes.
Le Carte di Forattini
Political caricatures by Giorgio Forattini published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Italy, 1993.
San Paolo Chekhov
Characters from Chekhov’s plays designed by Paolo Fresu for San Paolo Istituto Bancario, Italy, c.1983.
The Search for New Games in the late 19th century
A few new games survived and are still around today; most came and went and are only witnessed in the literature by the equivalent of a vapour trail.
Norfin® Trolls
Troll dolls with gaudy hairstyles in a multitude of different costumes.
Impressionist Art Cards
Details of 13 paintings by 8 different Impressionist artists on elongated cards.
Jeu de la Vme
A political pack designed by Pino Zac and published in 1977 by Editions Arts et Lettres.
Postak – Las Postas
‘Postak - Las Postas’ playing cards commemorating the history of the Basque postal service, Spain, 1996.
ČZ playing cards
Advertising pack for the Czechoslovak motorcycle factory Česká Zbrojovka.
Bourbon Bridge
Attractive, woodcut-style courts adapted for modern play.
Storia del Fascismo - gioco di carte
‘Storia del Fascismo’ playing cards depicting persons, symbols and artifacts associated with Italian fascism.
Miniature Card Dominoes
A miniature set of Goodall domino cards (5.9 x 3.5 cms) still in perfect condition.
Bischofszell
Advertising pack for the food producer Bischofszell, designed by Heinz Looser-Brenner, with non-standard suits.
T. Drayton & Son
Bezique and Whist boxed sets by T. Drayton & Son, London, c.1875.
Jeu des Médecins
Cartoons of doctors and nurses by Pino Zac, published by B.P. Grimaud in 1983.
Scheffmacher
Advertising pack for Scheffmacher, master painters in Schaffhausen, with comic designs by Fritz Bünzli.
Colour doodle deck
“1952-2002 commemorative deck” customised with doodles by an uncredited artist, UK, 2011.