Le Burling
1960s pack from Annecy with non-standard suits all connected with the office.
In French, le burlingue is a popular name for the office. It may be, therefore, that “Le Burling” is simply an alternative spelling. That would make sense given the subject matter and the non-standard suits in this unusual and original pack. The two red suits are pencils and rubbers (erasers), while the two black suits are rules and pen nibs, reminiscent of copper-plate penmanship neatly entered into ledger books. Each of the 54 cards has a different, double-ended design, some being divided horizontally and some diagonally. The Aces are cheques, the Kings editors, the Queens typists, the Jacks auditors/inspectors, the 10s letters, the 7s invoices, the 5s desks, the 4s filing systems, all from before the advent of office automation. The Jokers are temporary workers. The back design comes in blue or brown, with a matching paper wrapper►
Above: ‘Le Burling’ office-themed playing cards created by Alexis Girard, Albigny, Annecy-le-Vieux (Haute-Savoie), France, c1962. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 extra card in paper wrapper. Size: 57 x 85 mm.
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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