Le Jeu d’Issy
Bold designs by Jacques Auriac representing people and enterprises for which the town of Issy-les-Moulineaux is famous.
Jacques Auriac (1922-2003) was a French artist and poster designer who spent many years living and working in Issy-les-Moulineaux, just outside Paris. In 1986, he devised the striking logo for the French National Playing Card Museum in Issy which can be seen on the Jokers and on the back of the box. In the pack itself, famous people connected with the town (Matisse, Dubuffet, Farman, Blériot, etc.) and businesses for which the town became famous are depicted in Auriac’s bold and colourful gouaches. The four suits represent aviation (H), history (C), art (S), and business (D). The pips are arranged in a non-standard fashion. The original gouaches were presented to the Museum on the occasion of an exhibition devoted to the artist’s work in the year 2000.
Above: Le Jeu d’Issy published by the Musée Français de la Carte à Jouer & Galerie d’Histoire de la Ville, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, 2002. Maker unknown. 52 cards + 2 (identical) Jokers + 2 extra cards (with explanatory text in French and English) + fold-out leaflet (in French and English), in tuck box. Size: 56 x 87 mm. © 2002 Musée Français de la Carte à Jouer / Issy-les-Moulineaux.
By Roddy Somerville
France • 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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