Le Burling

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.