Health Promotion playing cards issued by the British Army with cartoons about army life and information on where to get health advice
The Joker is particularly persuasive, whilst the Ace of Spades has a battle scene involving artillery, with Navy ships in the distance and the statue of the goddess of Freedom in the middle.
In around 1909 he created three sets of playing cards. His inventiveness was driven by a passion for rules, order and numbers.
The Arpak No-Revoke playing cards, 24 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool, c.1927-35
ARRCO Playing Card Co., Chicago, c.1935 - c.1970s
Art Deco fortune telling deck published by Piatnik, 1936
“Art for the Earth” Transformation Deck published by Andrew Jones Art for Friends of the Earth, c.1990.
Elegant gold-printed playing cards in Jugendstil style designed by Otto Benz for Renault, 1987
A deck of cards to raise awareness of the Irish Hospice Foundation.
No.111 by Artex is a copy of Waddingtons standard designs, c1962
Artex Quadrilato No.333 for Tunisia
Advertising deck produced for Arthur Lee and Sons Ltd of Sheffield by Thomas De la Rue around 1958
Advertising pack designed by J. Passos and first printed by Cromografía Irández, Barcelona, c.1926. Re-printed in 1995
Two colourful Mexican packs by an anonymous manufacturer titled “As Vencedores” on the ace of coins, designed in the Mexican style, based on the Spanish ‘Castilian’ pattern
Asociart Insurance promotional playing cards, Argentina, 2000
Asperge Kwartet published by Knorr.
An unknown brand by Aspioti Elka A.E probably from the 1960s judging by the tax stamp on the box.
Cartes à Jouer ‘Astérix’ published by Ducale, 1987
Asterix Adventure quartet game by ASS, 1989.
Astra Games was a subsidiary of the McCorquodale Group of Companies, producing playing cards during the period 1982-87.
Astronaut card game published by Pepys Series (Castell Bros) celebrating the arrival of space travel, 1960s
“Ataque”, a card game simulating football manufactured in Buenos Aires by Vigor S.R.L., 1958
Atlantic Playing Card Co., Inc. promoted Bridge Ensemble boxes and companion accessories.
“Atouts de la Vie” wartime card game created by Madame Lucien Willemetz, c.1940.
The Auction Game by Multum in Parvo Co., Ltd, c.1900.
‘August der Starke und seine Zeit’ designed by Günter Schmitz, 1985.
“Ausgold” by SNP Ausprint Pty Ltd
Playing cards from Australia
Australia souvenir deck with photography by Steve Parish
Excise Duty was introduced on Australian playing cards in 1932
During the 19th century a system of fortune telling arose in Europe using unnumbered, pictorial cards depicting popular imagery with subtitles in several languages.
Possibly one of the most beautiful decks produced for commercial purposes, this was printed by Modiano for the Austrian Lloyd Steamship Company of Trieste in c.1895
Skat deck for Austria’s excellent wines, Österreichischer Weinwirtschaftsfonds, c.1965
Authors quartet game published by Whitman Publishing Co., 1951.
Automotive playing cards designed by Radoslaw Radziejewski
The Adventures of Sport-Billy by H. Fournier, 1981.
Avilude or Game of Birds published by West & Lee, Worcester, Mass, c.1880.
Clearly promoting good personal hygiene, each card shows a young, pouting female model posing seductively and appealing to the playboy.
The designs are a meld between the standard international pattern and German-style French-suited cards. Elements from various other standard patterns can be detected.
Baby Dolls pinup deck designed by Willy Mayrl, published by Piatnik, 1957.
Back to the USSR deck featuring communist party leaders and politicians, c.1995
Deck manufactured by Johann Matheus Backofen, Nürnberg c.1800.
Sports-themed playing cards published by Badische Spielkartenfabrik, Baden, c.1930
Bag of Bones playing cards, from a series of four decks designed by John Littleboy, 2008.
Evolution of American Bank Note Co's “Baggy Clown” Joker
A pack specially designed for a sandwich bar and cake shop. The jokers show a pile of sandwiches.
Balázs Pál Nagy's Playing Cards
Balázs Pál Nagy Tell 3306
English Standard pack hand drawn & coloured on banana leaf, c.1820.
The 'Old Frizzle' Ace of Spades shows the duty paid as one shilling, and the manufacturer's name is engraved at the bottom of the ace.
Banco playing cards for Air France manufactured by Draeger Frères, c.1952
Bandana Argentine pop girl group playing cards 2002.
Bandsman Snap by Chiefton Products Ltd of Bristol, c.1950s.
Special deck made for La Banque Nationale de Paris by Van Genechten, Turnhout, c.1962
Baracca & Burattini puppetry deck printed by Dal Negro, 1998.
Baraja 'Te Amo' con dibujos de Serafín en tirada de 500 ejemplares numerados, 48 naipes. Fabricado por Naipes Comas (Barcelona) 2002.
Baraja “Neoclásica” engraved by José Martínez de Castro, first published by Clemente Roxas, Madrid, 1810.
Non-standard Spanish-suited playing cards created by Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez and published by Ediciones Baja Andalucia, Sevilla, c.1980.
Designed to illustrate the history of four indigenous tribes who represent the roots of the Argentinean race.
Baraja Artistas del Cine Mudo, c.1926
Asescoin 1998 member’s pack designed by Josep Soriano.
Baraja de Boxeo, c.1930
‘La Auténtica Baraja Canaria’ was published in 1995 by Justo Pérez as an expression of the history and character of the Canary Islands.
Baraja Carlos IV, Félix Solesio en la Real Fábrica de Macharaviaya, 1800
Some examples of playing cards made in Catalonia from the collection of Iris Mundus, Barcelona.
“Baraja Charra” with paintings by Ernesto Icaza, 2002
Baraja Cinematográfica printed by J. M. Arnau, Barcelona, 1925-26
Baraja Cuauhtémoc published by Treviño Narro, Monterrey, Mexico Original artwork by P. X. Santaella featuring Aztec and other important pre-Columbian cultures.
Hijos de José Garcia Taboadela was a book-seller who also published this charming pack of lovers' fortune telling cards in 1871.
Baraja Digital by Naipes De La Cigüeña, 1990
Baraja Edad Media, fantasy Spanish-suited medieval playing cards published Mas-Reynals, Barcelona, 1993. Designed by M. Malé and illustrated by V. Maza.
Baraja Gallega designed by cartoonists and caricaturists Pinto Chinto (David Pintor & Carlos López) in 2002.
“Baraja Gaucha” fantasy deck designed by Mateo Tikas Plechas for Argentina, 1998.
Baraja Gaucha by Juan C. Yelina for Profertil S.A., 2006.
“Baraja Hispanoamericana” published by Asescoin, with artwork by Ortuño, illustrates memorable people from the discovery, colonisation and subsequent liberation of Hispanic America
La Baraja 'Hoja de Afeitar'. Baraja de Hojas Maravilla descalificadas como de primerísima categoría.
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.
“Baraja Literaria” Spanish pack with cartoons by Serafín, published by Asescoin and manufactured by Naipes Comas, 2002
‘Baraja Marinera’ designed by Francisco Javier San Juan, published by Asescoin (Madrid), 1995
“Baraja Mitológica” was first published in Madrid in c.1815 by Josef Monjardín from engravings by José Martínez de Castro.
Primitive Latin suited pack, possibly of Swiss or German origin for export to Spain, dated by paper analysis as early XV century, which makes this one of the earliest known surviving packs of playing cards.
Baraja PEPLVM features cartoons by Ortuño of famous actors and actresses in roles from epic Roman movies
Baraja Taurina manufactured by Simeon Durá (Valencia) for Chocolate Angelical, first published in 1916.
Baraja Taurina Mexicana Toranzo with paintings by Antonio Navarrete, 2003
Baraja Turística de España by Heraclio Fournier, 1966.
Figuritas Golazo collectible football cards from Argentina, 1973
'Baralla Galega' designed by X. Cobas and published by Imprenta Comercial Imprent S.A., La Coruña (Spain) in 1983
“Bargains” was designed by George Lambert for C. W. Faulkner & Co in c.1900
After the Second World War, the deck continued to be produced both by the VEB Altenburger Spielkartenfabrik as “Rokoko” and by ASS-Spielkartenfabrik, Leinfelden-Echterdingen as “Baronesse”.
“Baroque” by Ferd Piatnik & Sons, Vienna, reflecting a bygone era of fashion.
Waddington’s Patience Cards from the Barribal Series, c.1929.
William H. Barribal (1873 - 1956) was a London artist who created the Waddingtons 'Barribal' playing cards series, which are avidly collected today.
Pictorial playing cards published by C. Bartlett, New York, 1833
40-card Spanish-suited woodblock and stencil pack made in Mexico by Bartolo Borrego, 1836.
The Basler Fasnachts deck is designed each year by a different local artist.
Bass & Bass ‘Jeu des Familles’ made by Franz-Josef Holler, Münich, 1989.
“Bath and the Cotswolds” souvenir pack of cards published by John McLean of Edinburgh, c.1990
Bathing Beauties throughout the ages, published in Hungary, 1967.
