Première Guerre Mondiale
“Première Guerre Mondiale 1914-1918” playing cards published by Éditions J.C. Dusserre.
This collectible and educational set of playing cards, titled "Première Guerre Mondiale 1914-1918," was published by Éditions J.C. Dusserre, Paris, in around 1981. The deck is effectively a series of beautifully illustrated historical art cards detailing military uniform studies from that era. All indices and captions are in French • See the box
The illustrations employ naturalistic figure drawing combined with a deliberately muted colour palette of greys, khakis, and blues that echo the look of contemporary lithography, evoking a sense of historical remembrance. The court cards are particularly striking, showcasing soldiers from France, Germany, the U.S.A. and England prominently positioned against delicate backdrop sketches of battlefields, hospitals, and airfields. In contrast, the scenic aces focus on illustrations of military hardware and action from the First World War.
Above: “Première Guerre Mondiale 1914-1918” playing cards published by Éditions J.C. Dusserre, printed by Maitres Cartiers Boéchat Frères, Mérignac, c.1981. 55 cards in tuck box; two different back colours are blue or khaki.
Right: the two jokers and the back design.
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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