Vieux gréements
Illustrations by Yannick Pennanguer of old sailing ships for Brest 2004, a maritime festival.
Old sailing ships and barques hold an eternal fascination for many people, evoking, as they do, life in days gone by. An international gathering of such vessels takes place every four years in Brest, the event in 2004 being the fourth edition of the Brest Maritime Festival. Yannick Pennanguer’s illustrations represent large three-masted ships, coastal fishing boats and other boats with sails. The most famous among them is probably the ‘Belem’ (Ace of Hearts), the French sail training ship which started life as a cargo ship in 1896. A monochrome version of ‘La Recouvrance’ (Ace of Clubs) has been used in the background on all the pip cards. On the back of the cards and on the box is a reproduction of a painting from 1858 depicting the arrival by boat of Queen Victoria at the harbour of Cherbourg. See the box►
Above: ‘Vieux gréements’ sailing ships playing cards published by Editions Face&Dos, Paris, France, 2004. Maker unknown. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 extra card (double-sided with text in French) in tuck box. Size: 63 x 88 mm.
NOTE: ‘gréement’ = rigging; ‘vieux gréements’ = old sailing ships.
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.
Activity for Vieux gréements
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Michelin tires
Grimaud’s take on the classic tire brand.
Les Grands Navigateurs
Jean Delpech's modernist voyage through the history of Maritime Exploration.
Braathens SAFE playing cards
Airline advertising pack combining international courts with horizontal images of passenger aircraft...
Shin-Tōmei Expressway Opening Commemoration
Promotional playing cards for the Shin-Tōmei Expressway, a major Japanese expressway that opened in ...
Correspondances
‘Correspondances’ depicting the 52 transfer stations of the Paris Métropolitain, France, 1985.
Jeu du Bicentenaire de la Révolution Française
Pack created by Yannick Pennanguer commemorating the bicentenary of the French Revolution and the ce...
ČZ playing cards
Advertising pack for the Czechoslovak motorcycle factory Česká Zbrojovka.
Carte da Gioco Mongolfiere
Various hot-air balloons on a pack from a small Florentine publisher.
Les Moyens de Locomotion Insolites
Unlikely, ridiculous or just plain impossible means of transport, drawn by Hubert Rublon.
Night & Day playing cards
‘Night & Day’ playing cards produced by London Underground, United Kingdom
Farmall playing cards
Farmall playing cards advertising International Harvester tractors, USA, c.2015.
Cycle all over London
Cycle all over London playing cards published by Transport for London Street Management, 2003.
Le Jeu des Chats (Dubout)
Cartoon-style illustrations of cats on playing cards created by the French artist Albert Dubout.
Molière par Dubout
Characters and scenes from plays by Molière as drawn by the cartoonist Albert Dubout.
Gas Shortages
Screenprint designs on an ever-topical subject, designed and made by Sallie Chinkes, 1979.
Speed 2nd edition
The second edition of Speed by Pepys Games was published in c.1945.
Corsaires et Flibustiers
“Corsaires et Flibustiers” playing cards created by G. Delluc and published by Éditions Philibert, P...
Motor Handicap
‘The Motor Handicap’ card game published by Philpott & Co. Ltd, Surbiton, 1920s.
Legendary Harley-Davidson
Legendary Harley-Davidson Playing Cards, c.1995.
Le Progrès de la Circulation
The beautiful images in this quartet game published by Jeux Spear in 1933 depict the progress of tra...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
