Versailles
Sumptuous ‘Versailles’ playing cards created by Matéjà and printed by B. P. Grimaud, c.1970
Versailles Playing Cards created by Matéjà and printed by B. P. Grimaud, recalling the magnificence of the Château and the sumptuously dressed kings and queens who lived in it. Versailles was the seat of political power in the Kingdom of France from 1682, when King Louis XIV moved the royal court from Paris, until 1789, just after the beginning of the French Revolution. See the Information card►
Above: Versailles Playing Cards created by Matéjà and printed by B. P. Grimaud, c.1970. The joker is Pierre l'Angely, Louis XIII's fool.
By Matt Probert
United Kingdom • Member since March 02, 2012
I have adored playing cards since before I was seven years old, and was brought up on packs of Waddington's No 1. As a child I was fascinated by the pictures of the court cards.
Over the next fifty years I was seduced by the artwork in Piatnik's packs and became a collector of playing cards.
Seeking more information about various unidentified packs I discovered the World of Playing Cards website and became an enthusiastic contributor researching and documenting different packs of cards.
I describe my self as a playing card archaeologist, using detective work to identify and date obscure packs of cards discovered in old houses, flea markets and car boot sales.
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