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Barribal Series
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by Simon Wintle
William H. Barribal (1873 - 1956) was a London artist who created the Waddingtons 'Barribal' playing cards series, which are avidly collected today.
Waddington’s Wildlife and Classic Series, 1933
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by Simon Wintle
Waddington’s Wildlife and Classic Series, 1933.
Waddington’s “Rural England” Series, 1933
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by Simon Wintle
Waddington’s "Rural England" Series, 1933.
Harry Rountree
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by Simon Wintle
Designs by Harry Rountree (1878-1950); Waddington's 1933 Trade Brochure.
The History of Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
Playing Cards have been around in Europe since the 1370s. Some early packs were hand painted works of art which were expensive and affordable only by the wealthy. But as demand increased cheaper methods of production were discovered so that playing cards became available for everyone...
Casinos On The Internet
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by Simon Wintle
While card rooms and private gaming clubs may have been around for hundreds of years, the earliest known European casino of the type gamblers know today is probably the Casino at Monte Carlo.
Early History of Playing Cards & Timeline
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by Simon Wintle
Out of an apparent void, a constellation of references in early literature emerge pointing to the sudden arrival of playing cards, principally in Belgium, Germany, Spain and Italy around 1370-1380. Discover the early history of playing cards in our timeline from 50AD to the 15th century.
History of Blackjack
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by Simon Wintle
Over the years the origin of Blackjack, like many other games, has eluded researchers for a long time and which continues to be hotly debated to this day.
Estonia
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by Simon Wintle
Estonia's first period of independence lasted 22 years, beginning in 1918, and this period was one of great cultural advancement.
Estonian Historic Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
The court cards and indices on Estonian playing cards are Södur, Emand, Kuninga.
History of Online Casinos
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by Simon Wintle
Online casinos appeared shortly after the internet became a more mainstream tool for the public to use
History of Poker
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by Simon Wintle
The origin of Poker - arguably the most influential card game of all time - is actually quite unclear.
Hunting Depicted on Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
In the Middle Ages hunting was an integral part of life.
Dasavatara Ganjifa from India
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by Simon Wintle
Chromo-lithograph Ganjifa cards by the Chitrasala Press, around 1950. Ten suits of twelve cards, each suit is based on one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu.
Swiss Regional Costumes Playing Cards, c.1890
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by Simon Wintle
This Swiss Regional Costume pack can be seen as an early form of tourist souvenir which subsequently developed into the photographic souvenir pack.
Swiss French Suited Playing Cards, c.1840
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by Simon Wintle
French-suited playing-cards in the Paris pattern appeared in Switzerland around the end of the sixteenth century, when many Lyonnais cardmakers were driven away by heavy taxes.
Swiss Scenic Ace Souvenir Cards, c.1850
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by Simon Wintle
Souvenir pack with Scenic Aces made by Müller (Diessenhofen), c.1850.
Swiss Mogul Cards, 1880-1890
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by Simon Wintle
English type 'Mogul' playing cards manufactured in Switzerland by John Müller for export to India, c.1880-1890.
Madame Lenormand Fortune Telling Cards
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by Simon Wintle
Madame Lenormand Fortune Telling Cards made by Müller.
Humanist pack by J. Müller & Cie
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by Simon Wintle
'Humanist' pack made by J. Müller & Cie (Schaffhouse), originally named 'Troubador'. The pack was designed by Melchior Annen (1868-1954) who also designed several other packs for Müller & Cie.
Spanish Cadiz-style pack
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by Simon Wintle
Traditional Spanish Cadiz-style pack manufactured by Müller & Cie, Schaffhausen, 1952.
David Hurter, Schaffhausen
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by Simon Wintle
David Hurter built up a playing card business in Schaffhausen during the 18th century.
Müller (Diessenhofen), c.1840-50.
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by Simon Wintle
Playing Cards made by J. Müller, Diessenhofen, c.1840-50 with court cards coloured differently at each end.
Swiss Playing Cards by David Hurter, c.1830
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by Simon Wintle
David Hurter had begun to build up a playing card business in Schaffhausen during the late 18th century.
Swiss Piquet Playing Cards, c.1850-60
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by Simon Wintle
Piquet playing-cards made by J. Müller, Diessenhofen, c.1850-60. The full-length court cards are following the French style.
Antique Swiss Playing Cards, c.1530
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by Simon Wintle
The Swiss national suit system of shields, acorns, hawkbells and flowers originated sometime during the fifteenth century.
Swiss Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
The Swiss national suit system of shields, acorns, hawk bells and flowers emerged sometime during the XV century.
Swiss Spanish-Suited Cards, c.1875
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by Simon Wintle
Spanish-suited playing cards manufactured by J. Müller for export to Latin American countries, c.1875.
Swiss Scenic Ace Souvenir Cards, c.1860
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by Simon Wintle
Souvenir pack with Scenic Aces made by J. Müller (Diessenhofen), c.1860. The courts are conventional figures based on French designs.
War Aid
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by Simon Wintle
Hadsegélyzö Kártya ('War Aid Pack' or 'War Aid Cards') Nr. 63 designed by Leo Kober and first published by Piatnik, Budapest, in 1917.
Africa playing cards
According to the United Nations there are 54 countries on the continent of Africa
XV Century Italian Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
Cards from a pack of an early form of north Italian playing cards, with the swords back-to-back and curved outwards. Believed to be Venetian, dated 1462.
Minchiate Fiorentine
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by Simon Wintle
The Florentine game of Minchiate is played with a pack of 97 cards. The subjects and arrangements of the trumps are slightly varied and their number increased to 41 by the addition of the three theological virtues, one of the cardinal virtues (Prudence), the 4 elements and the 12 signs of the zodiac.
The Visconti-Sforza Tarot, c.1460
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by Simon Wintle
This pack of tarot cards appears to have have been made in the Bembo workshop in Cremona for Bianca Maria Visconti, c.1460.
Tarocco Piemontese | Piedmontese tarot
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by Simon Wintle
The double ended version of the Piedmontese Tarot evolved during the second half of the nineteenth century, most probably in Turin. It is still produced and used today.
Tarocchi di Mantegna, c.1465
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by Simon Wintle
The so-called Tarocchi di Mantegna (c.1465) reflect an ideological structure bringing to mind the soul's progress towards perfection.
Tarocco Milanesi by Lamperti (Milan) c.1850
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by Simon Wintle
Tarocco Milanesi by Lamperti (Milan) c.1850
Florentine Pattern
Originally one of several designs which emerged during the nineteenth century, the Florentine pattern has several distinctive features.
Sicilian playing cards by Antonio Monasta
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by Simon Wintle
"Il Leon" Sicilian playing cards, 40-card pack based on Spanish designs, made in Sicily by Antonio Monasta, probably 17th century.
Hand-Painted Tarocchi Cards
Hand-painted Tarocchi cards sometimes known as ‘Charles VI tarot’, North Italy, 1475-1500.
Sicilian Pattern
The Sicilian pack has a similar composition to the Neapolitan pack, and is small and squat in appearance.
Italian Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
The first reliable evidence that playing cards were being used in Italy is from 1376, when a game called 'naibbe' is forbidden in a decree, with the implication that the game had only recently been introduced there.
De La Rue
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by Simon Wintle
De La Rue introduced letter-press printing into playing card production and his patent was granted in 1831. He produced his first playing cards in 1832.
Playing Cards and Religion
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by Simon Wintle
Early engravers and print makers made devotional images for pilgrims and people who could not afford paintings or books. Many of these craftsmen turned their hand to manufacturing playing cards to earn extra income. Today playing cards are often produced to spread religious messages, teachings or for educational purposes.
Blanchard, c.1770
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by Donald Welsh
The style of these cards is descended from the earlier seventeenth century cards of makers such as Hewson.
Fanning the Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
The manner of holding the cards in the hand is related to a player’s needs to view his/her hand in a logically organised way, perhaps categorised into sets or sequences, usually reading from left to right...
History of Court Cards
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by Simon Wintle
The court cards in English packs of playing cards derive from models produced by Pierre Marechal in Rouen around 1565. A pack of such cards is preserved in the museum at Rouen.
The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards was founded by Royal Charter in 1628.
Early English Playing Cards
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by Donald Welsh
Early examples of traditional, standard English playing cards of which the best known are those of Hewson of the seventeenth century, and Blanchard from the eighteenth century.
Collecting English Playing Cards & Games
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by Donald Welsh
The History of English Playing Cards dates probably from the mid 15th century, the first documentary evidence of their existence in this country occurring in an Act of Parliament which prohibited the import of foreign cards.
Standard and Non-standard Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
Standard playing cards are based upon traditional designs and are used for card games.
Playing Card Design
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by Simon Wintle
The playing card calls for artistic treatment and although the constrained size imposes some limitations there is an almost bewildering wealth and variety of designs in playing cards and their tuck boxes. The serious player requires design to be unobtrusive so that aesthetic considerations remain in the background. However, with modern manufacturing technology more eye-catching designs are becoming popular as gifts, collectibles and for their attractive appearance.
Playing Cards in Honduras
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by Simon Wintle
Honduras shares a long tradition with Spain in the field of playing cards.
The Joker Card
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by Simon Wintle
The 'Joker' is believed to have been invented by American Euchre players who, when modifying the rules sometime during the 1860s, decided that an extra trump card was required.
Baraja Infantil made in Cuba
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by Simon Wintle
cards from a 40-card children's "Questions and Answers" game. The Spanish suit signs have been changed to tambourines, yo-yos, swords and skittles. Printed lithographically in Cuba, c.1930.
Playing Cards in Cuba
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by Simon Wintle
During the colonial years and afterwards, Spanish-suited packs were imported into Cuba.
Conjuring and Magic
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by Simon Wintle
The art of mystifying people is very old indeed. The first conjurers were priests who obtained power over simple minds by performing magical tricks which appeared to have a supernatural origin.
Gironda
8 cards and two jokers from the 'Gironda' pack, showing eminent statesmen and politicians from Lithuania from the 1990s.
Dviracio Kortos, 2001
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by Simon Wintle
Dviracio Kortos playing cards, based on 'Dviracio Zynios' ('The Bicycle's News'), a popular Lithuanian TV comedy show, in which actors satirize the vices and follies of modern society.
Production Methods for Small Scale Editions
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by Simon Wintle
Some alternative approaches to producing small, hand-made editions of playing cards
Cats, Cakes, Clothes and Cups
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by Simon Wintle
Dianne Longley is a print artist who produces books and folios as well as intaglio and relief prints.
About Karl Gerich (1956-2016)
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by Simon Wintle
About Karl Alexander Gerich, 23rd April 1956 — 4th January 2016
Jason Ennis Tarot Cards
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by Simon Wintle
Jason Ennis was a self trained artist interested in man's nature, his powers and abilities.
The Enchanted Journey
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by Simon Wintle
Cards from the delightful Enchanted Journey playing-cards by Karen Curran of Australia.
About Shelley Fowles
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by Simon Wintle
Shelley Fowles was born in South Africa but has lived in the United Kingdom since 1979. She trained in Art in Brighton and London.
About Catherine Kelly
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by Simon Wintle
Catherine Kelly, M.A. Paint and Print, B.A. History of Art and Fine Art Painting, is an artist working in Dublin
