Calligraphy Card Game

Johann Christoph Albrecht (1710–1777) was a German engraver, calligrapher, writer and draftsman active in Nuremberg and Augsburg. He was particularly renowned for his calligraphy textbooks of the period, on which he worked in the 1760s (1). Perhaps as a supplementary teaching aid, he also created a card game. He used a model of graphic sheets that was well known at the time, featuring symbols and card values. The deck, produced on seven graphic sheets, contains not only 52 cards but also two separate cards identifying the manufacturer and describing the product. Once cut apart, the sheets form a usable deck of cards.

The author himself refers to this design as the “French card game” (2). This likely refers to a 52-card deck that uses French card suits. The card markings are located only in the upper left corner of the card; pip cards are labeled with their value in Roman numerals, and face cards are labeled with text in French (Valet, Dame, Roi). The card’s serial number is listed in the right-hand corner of the card.

The main motif on the cards is an engraving of an exotic warrior. A description of the image is provided in the strip at the bottom of the card. The engraving is a graphically stylized silhouette executed in a single, unbroken stroke! Here, the engraver Albrecht showcases his graphic artistry. The individual motifs are based on the work of Martin Engelbrecht (1684–1756), a master of Baroque engraving from the previous generation. In his series of prints titled “Theatre de la milice etrangere” (3), published between 1742 and 1746, Engelbrecht depicted unconventional warriors who were newly appearing on the battlefields of the German states. Copies of Engelbrecht’s popular work were widely circulated in Western Europe. This work by Johann Christoph Albrecht can also be considered one of his followers (example_c26.jpg / example_c33.jpg / example_c51.jpg).

Card players can send their mercenaries—from the ranks of the Pandurs, Hajduks, or even Scottish Highlanders—into battle.

The artist uses the remaining space on the card as a typography sample. The first 25 cards feature the letters of the alphabet in succession, each rendered in a different style. The next 25 cards show the use of these letters in proper names—most often French and Italian names beginning with a specific letter and the names of various cities—while the two remaining cards feature only a warrior motif.

The distribution of the nationalities of the depicted figures across the suit colors is irregular—no single type is tied to a specific suit color or rank. The distribution of suit colors within the deck is also irregular, with no clear connection to the numbered order of the cards or the graphic layout.

This multifunctional educational (?) aid, in addition to showcasing the mastery of the engraver Albrecht, can be used to play standard card games. It also allows for a game similar to Pairs, in which pairs are matched according to letters of the alphabet. And, of course, it offers a pocket-sized ethnographic atlas of the peoples of what were then the outlying regions of Europe.

A sample of uncut print sheets has been preserved from Lady Charlotte Schreiber’s collection at the British Museum: