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2024 100 Articles


April 2024 26 Articles

Uncut Sheet by Johann Jobst Forster

Uncut Sheet by Johann Jobst Forster

A proof sheet containing twelve court cards of conventional French type.

Miniature spanish-suited playing cards

Miniature spanish-suited playing cards

Pack of 48 miniature spanish playing-cards published by C R.

Sweetule Natural History cards 1961

Sweetule Natural History cards

Small cards featuring natural history subjects, given away with packets of sweet cigarettes.

Laughing Made Easy 1875

Laughing Made Easy

a Victorian card game published by D. Ogilvy.

Lend Me Five Shillings 1875

Lend Me Five Shillings

or “Her Majesty’s Privy Purse” - a merry round-the-table game published by D. Ogilvy.

Eves Playing Cards 1980

Eves Playing Cards

A pack of cards with colour photos of Indian film stars from the era

Poker Lusso 1975

Poker Lusso

Richly costumed courts on a luxury poker pack from Masenghini.

Classic Card Games for Kids 2002

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 1994

Music playing cards

Portraits of 13 classical music composers.

L Day 1780

L Day

Antique cards forming a composite pack by L.Day, Kingdom of Ireland, 1780.

Les plaques émaillées d’Antoine Vollon 2013

Les plaques émaillées d’Antoine Vollon

54 different enamel plaques depicting silk manufacture, by the Lyon artist Antoine Vollon.

Asha Industries’ Castilian pattern 2002

Asha Industries’ Castilian pattern

Colourful Spanish (Castilian) pattern cards made by Asha Industries in India for Mexico.

Le Roi bridge 1991

Le Roi bridge

Reprint of a Piatnik (Budapest) pack of 1927 with Hungarian historical figures and scenic aces.

Manara: baraja de poker 2010

Manara: baraja de poker

Exotic illustrations by Italian comic book artist and writer Milo Manara.

Club Soft Drinks 1980

Club Soft Drinks

Promotional pack for Club soft drinks with amusing illustrations of different kinds of ‘club’.

Mit Rhino auftrumpfen 1984

Mit Rhino auftrumpfen

Black rhinos on a publicity pack for Armstrong, a flooring company, with comic designs by Pit Flick.

Valhalla spillekort 2002

Valhalla spillekort

Characters from the Valhalla comics, designed by Peter Madsen, as commemorated on a Danish stamp.

So-Lah – A Game of Music 1904

So-Lah – A Game of Music

An early 20th century domino-type musical card game by Goodall.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year 2008

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

American teen film depicting students staging their last spring musical.

Word Making and Word Taking 1877

Word Making and Word Taking

How crossword and spelling games became popular.

Pinocchio playing cards 1997

Pinocchio playing cards

Comic book drawings inspired by Carlo Collodi’s children’s classic, Pinocchio.

Marmite 2018

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 1980

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 playing cards

G&G Armament Airsoft replica gun playing cards from Taiwan.

Carte Romantiche Italiane 1984

Carte Romantiche Italiane

Scenes of life and the theatre in Milan towards the second half of the 19th century.

Walt Disney Cards II 1997

Walt Disney Cards II

Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and other familiar Disney characters.


March 2024 55 Articles

Postabank 3 1991

Postabank 3

Caricatures of German personalities on a promotional pack for a Hungarian commercial bank.

Whatever you’re up to, stay safe

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

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 1995

Guanlangaoshou / Slam Dunk playing cards

Basketball-themed manga animated playing cards from Japan.

Postabank 1 1990

Postabank 1

Caricatures of Hungarian politicians on a promotional pack for a commercial bank.

Le Jeu des Musiciens 1984

Le Jeu des Musiciens

Artist Silvia Maddonni’s gently humorous take on musicians and their instruments.

Absolut Deck 2005

Absolut Deck

Promotional deck published for Absolut Vodka in Sweden.

Lo Stampatore 1977

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 1995

Les Saints Guérisseurs et Protecteurs

Healing and patron saints portrayed in paintings, manuscripts, altarpieces and statuary.

Scenic Views of Australia 2002

Scenic Views of Australia

54 different scenic views of Australia in full colour.

Alice in Wonderland 2010

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 1989

Ulysses a Vau-de-Ville

the James Joyce cards with drawings by Rosita Fanto.

Kuzco, l’empereur mégalo 2001

Kuzco, l’empereur mégalo

Notched cards featuring toys representing characters from the Disney film Kuzco, as offered by McDonald’s.

The Beatles playing cards 2004

The Beatles playing cards

Two packs featuring photos of The Beatles issued by the same publisher in 2004 and 2005.

Nepali children

Nepali children

Photographs of Nepali children offering glimpses of joy, hope and the beauty of life.

Women by Royo 2001

Women by Royo

‘Women by Royo’ erotic playing cards published by Heraclio Fournier, Spain, 2001.

Costume Playing Cards 1991

Costume Playing Cards

Four centuries of costumes from the Costume Court at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Hilti I 1985

Hilti I

Promotional pack for Hilti power tools, with courts in medieval costume and non-standard pips.

Monuments de Paris 1964

Monuments de Paris

‘Monuments de Paris’ souvenir playing cards produced by Heraclio Fournier, c.1964.

Transair 1990

Transair

Humorous designs promoting Transair, a German charter flight operator.

Leonardo collection 2015

Leonardo collection

Leonardo collection playing cards with drawings from his notebooks.

Merz Pharma Skat 1989

Merz Pharma Skat

Comic designs promoting Merz Pharma, a German drug company.

Lo Cartescacco / Chess playing cards 1981

Lo Cartescacco / Chess playing cards

Playing cards designed by F. Romagnoli bringing together Chess and Bridge, Italy, c. 1981.

escART, ec-ART, SKAT 1978

escART, ec-ART, SKAT

Fully illustrated pack printed from etchings by Johannes Vennekamp.

Frauejass 1998

Frauejass

‘Frauejass / le Jass au féminin’ designed by Susan Csomor, Switzerland, c. 1998.

Not the Iraqi Most Wanted playing cards 2004

Not the Iraqi Most Wanted playing cards

Fifty-five Irish heroes and villains, some ancient but mostly modern.

Commoners playing cards 2020

Commoners playing cards

Created by Ian Cumpstey dedicated to the common land and the countryside.

Feh Schnapskarten 1972

Feh Schnapskarten

Colourful promotional pack for Feh household and toilet papers.

Liber Ludorum 2019

Liber Ludorum

Liber Ludorum playing cards created by Ian Cumpstey in the insular style, United Kingdom, 2019.

Hansaplast<sup>®</sup> 1993

Hansaplast®

Advertising pack for Hansaplast, with comic courts sporting sticking plasters.

Pike and Clover playing cards 2018

Pike and Clover playing cards

Pike and Clover playing cards created by Ian Cumpstey, Cumbria, UK, 2018.

Lorilleux International 1988

Lorilleux International

Promotional pack for Lorilleux International’s Lotus inks, with designs by James Hodges.

Les Tontons du Rock 2021

Les Tontons du Rock

Caricatures of rock and pop stars in black and white by Charles Da Costa.

Inglewood Hunting Deck 2023

Inglewood Hunting Deck

Inglewood Hunting Deck created by Ian Cumpstey, United Kingdom, 2023.

B. Braun-Dexon<sup>®</sup> 1986

B. Braun-Dexon®

Publicity pack promoting B. Braun-Dexon’s atraumatic needles, with non-standard courts and pips.

Bibaraja 1977

Bibaraja

Amusing designs of boys as circus performers by Alberto Muñiz Sánchez.

Zodiaque 1980

Zodiaque

“Les Signes du Zodiaque” playing cards designed by Youdi des Aubrys.

Peintres Latino Americains 1986

Peintres Latino Americains

Original artwork by 18 different Latin American artists.

British Monarchs 1981

British Monarchs

Commemorating the royal wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer on the 29th July 1981.

54 Affiches Retro 1991

54 Affiches Retro

54 different old French advertising posters, mainly for travel and health products.

Il Vostro Destino 1989

Il Vostro Destino

Italian fortune-telling pack produced by Viassone and later by Masenghini.

Jeu de la Belle Epoque 1980

Jeu de la Belle Epoque

Jeu de la Belle Epoque, remembering a golden age of optimism, progress and elegance.

Past Masters’ Association Presentation Pack 2013

Past Masters’ Association Presentation Pack

The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards Past Masters’ Association Presentation Pack, 2013.

Paco Lobo 1985

Paco Lobo

Highly original and striking designs by Paco Lobo for the fashion house of the same name.

Correspondances 1985

Correspondances

‘Correspondances’ depicting the 52 transfer stations of the Paris Métropolitain, France, 1985.

Loewe: Moda Europea Siglo XVII 1970

Loewe: Moda Europea Siglo XVII

Luxury pack for the Spanish fashion house Loewe, with 17th century costume designs by Margot Hamilton Hill.

Jeu Gothique 1987

Jeu Gothique

‘Jeu Gothique’ illustrating the Gothic period in France, published by Editions Dusserre.

Burgundy pattern 1745

Burgundy pattern

The old Burgundy (or Burgundian) pattern by Nicolas Chenevet, Dijon.

Toros: De El Cordobés a Espartaco 1988

Toros: De El Cordobés a Espartaco

Publicity pack for the Spanish newspaper Ya with caricatures of famous bullfighters by Fernando Vinyes.

Baraja de Alava 1994

Baraja de Alava

55 different paintings by Emilio Lope depicting the history and culture of Vitoria and the province of Álava.

Jeu Bonaparte 1978

Jeu Bonaparte

Jeu Bonaparte depicting the extended family of Napoleon Bonaparte, France, 1978

Jeu du Bicentenaire de la Révolution Française 1989

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 1988

Jeu des Bonnets Phrygiens

Reproduction of Jeu des Bonnets Phrygiens relating to the Phrygian cap (or liberty cap), France, 1988.

Sweden playing cards 2000

Sweden playing cards

Named characters from Swedish history.

San Paolo Shakespeare 1978

San Paolo Shakespeare

San Paolo Shakespeare, Italy, 1978


February 2024 19 Articles

Romania playing cards 2000

Romania playing cards

Romanian voivodes and their wives from the 15th and 16th centuries.

Dutch Court playing cards 1999

Dutch Court playing cards

Games & Print Services’ version of the Dutch pattern.

Le jeu des 7 Familles ’Utuafare

Le jeu des 7 Familles ’Utuafare

Colourful Happy Families game from Tahiti depicting costumes from different archipelagoes.

Le Carte di Forattini 1993

Le Carte di Forattini

Political caricatures by Giorgio Forattini published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Italy, 1993.

San Paolo Chekhov 1983

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 19<sup>th</sup> century

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 1992

Norfin® Trolls

Troll dolls with gaudy hairstyles in a multitude of different costumes.

Impressionist Art Cards 2002

Impressionist Art Cards

Details of 13 paintings by 8 different Impressionist artists on elongated cards.

Jeu de la V<sup>me</sup> 1977

Jeu de la Vme

A political pack designed by Pino Zac and published in 1977 by Editions Arts et Lettres.

Postak – Las Postas 1996

Postak – Las Postas

‘Postak - Las Postas’ playing cards commemorating the history of the Basque postal service, Spain, 1996.

ČZ playing cards 1965

ČZ playing cards

Advertising pack for the Czechoslovak motorcycle factory Česká Zbrojovka.

Bourbon Bridge 1975

Bourbon Bridge

Attractive, woodcut-style courts adapted for modern play.

Storia del Fascismo - gioco di carte

Storia del Fascismo - gioco di carte

‘Storia del Fascismo’ playing cards depicting persons, symbols and artifacts associated with Italian fascism.

Miniature Card Dominoes 1904

Miniature Card Dominoes

A miniature set of Goodall domino cards (5.9 x 3.5 cms) still in perfect condition.

Bischofszell 1987

Bischofszell

Advertising pack for the food producer Bischofszell, designed by Heinz Looser-Brenner, with non-standard suits.

T. Drayton & Son 1875

T. Drayton & Son

Bezique and Whist boxed sets by T. Drayton & Son, London, c.1875.

Jeu des Médecins 1983

Jeu des Médecins

Cartoons of doctors and nurses by Pino Zac, published by B.P. Grimaud in 1983.

Scheffmacher 1975

Scheffmacher

Advertising pack for Scheffmacher, master painters in Schaffhausen, with comic designs by Fritz Bünzli.

Colour doodle deck 2011

Colour doodle deck

“1952-2002 commemorative deck” customised with doodles by an uncredited artist, UK, 2011.