Atouts de la Vie
“Atouts de la Vie” wartime card game created by Madame Lucien Willemetz, c.1940.
Atouts de la Vie card game created by Madame Lucien Willemetz. This wartime card game was produced by the corrupt Vichy Government of France, which was formed after France’s surrender to the invading Germans in the spring of 1940. The illustrations extol virtues such as work ethic, honour and idealism which they decided their citizens should adopt in order to lead dignified lives, whilst not adopting any of them themselves. The object of the game is to collect all ten virtues. See the Box►
Above: “Atouts de la Vie” wartime card game created by Madame Lucien Willemetz and published by Witho, c.1940. 10 virtues x 5 = 50 cards complete, made on wartime restrictions card in original box with info card. Images courtesy Nick Arden Thomas.
By Simon Wintle
Spain • Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
Activity for Atouts de la Vie
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Heritage Preservation Cards : Afghanistan and Iraq
Twin decks with a noble purpose.
Learning to play Cribbage
I learned to pay cribbage when I was very young, aged around six or seven.
Antikriegsspielkarte
Hand- and stencilcolored anti-war playing cards by Siegfried Heilmeier, 1983
Cartes à jouer républicaines
Political cards engraved by Gaillard in Lyon during the Franco-Prussian War and the birth of the Thi...
Le Jeu Des Fortifications
An innovation from the time of Louis XIV by Gilles de la Boissière.
Jeu Révolutionnaire
Court cards and aces from a French Revolutionary pack by Pinaut, Paris, c.1794.
Cartes politiques : Jeu d'actualité
Political playing cards published by Grimaud et Chartier, Paris, 1872.
Politicards 2008
Politicards ’08 with caricatures cast as characters from classic movies, USA.
Game Over
‘Game Over’ political playing cards from Israel, 2006.
Maquettes for an unpublished WWI pack
Original designs depicting leaders and allegories from Russia, France, Great Britain and Belgium.
Paris pattern for WWII troops
Wartime edition of standard designs with fewer colours, a special back design and an overprint.
Le Régime Bush
“Le Régime Bush” anti-war playing cards designed by Thierry Meyssan, France, 2003.
War Profiteers playing cards
“War Profiteers” playing cards, USA, c. 2004.
Try’em playing cards
Try’em: the U.S. Regime Change, or “52 Most Wanted Criminals” c. 2003.
Iraqi Most Wanted Playing Cards
Playing cards used to help troops identify the most-wanted members of Saddam Hussein's government. 2...
House of Commons Playing Cards
House of Commons playing cards designed to serve as a civic guide to the UK Parliament.
Victory
“Victory" cards celebrating U.S. participation in the Allied victory, c.1945.
Anti-Fascist Propaganda Pack for the Siege of Leningrad, 1942
In 1942 a pack of ‘anti-fascist’ playing cards was designed by Vasiliy Andrianovich Vlasov mocking t...
Première Guerre Mondiale
“Première Guerre Mondiale 1914-1918” playing cards published by Éditions J.C. Dusserre.
In der Fuehrer’s Face
“In der Fuehrer’s Face” playing cards designed in 1945 by Antonio Arias Bernal, a Mexican artist, bu...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
Zoyander Street
04 April 2026, 05:22SavedSaved this article to Narrative decks