Four Continents Patience

Published July 23, 2012 Updated June 02, 2023

Dondorf's 'Four Continents' Patience, c.1910.

1910 Germany Dondorf Geography Miniature Patience

Dondorf: “Four Continents Patience”

Dondorf's “Patience-Karte Vier-Erdteile” (“Four Continents Patience”) was first published in c.1870 with square-cut corners, no borders and no indices. This edition has rounded corners, border lines and small indices, and was published in c.1910. As in the full-sized pack of the same name, each suit sign is assigned to a continent: Clubs represent Africa, Hearts Europe, Spades Asia and Diamonds represent America. The four Aces each have two landscape scenes from their corresponding part of the world. The Ace of Clubs shows coconut palms and Lake Moeris (Egypt); on Hearts we see an Italian forest and a German medieval castle; Spades the Great Wall of China and Indian palms; on Diamonds the Niagara Falls and South American Pampas.   See also:   Four ContinentsKinder-Karte Patience No.25.

Dondorf's 'Four Continents' Patience

Above: Aces and court cards from Dondorf's 'Four Continents' Patience, chromolithography, with rounded corners and borders, after 1906. The court cards depict stereotyped persons from each of the Four Continents. In this edition the captions on the four Aces are in French but versions with German captions were also produced. 52 cards; 64mm x 43mm. Images courtesy Barney Townshend.

German Inscriptions

Italian tax stamp dated 1923.

Dondorf's 'Four Continents' Patience c.1923 Dondorf's 'Four Continents' Patience c.1923

Above: courtesy Rex Pitts.

avatar
131 Articles

By Barney Townshend

Member since October 06, 2015

Retired Airline Pilot, interested in: Transformation Playing Cards, Karl Gerich and Elaine Lewis. Secretary of the EPCS. Treasurer of the IPCS.

Related Articles

1976 OH Cards

OH Cards

A Series of Metaphoric Cards to unlock your story, conceived and designed by Ely Raman

1859 Patience by Joseph Glanz

Patience by Joseph Glanz

A refined and distinctly European Patience pack by Joseph Glanz from Austria.

1988 VEB Kombinat Kali

VEB Kombinat Kali

Advertising pack depicting old means of salt production, with designs by Hannelore Heise.

1997 Burghausen

Burghausen

Historical figures and buildings to promote the town of Burghausen, with designs by Jonny Petri.

2014 Wiener Pattern – Nuremberg Version

Wiener Pattern – Nuremberg Version

A classic deck in a new illustrative style, with notable variations in line work, detail, and colour...

2019 CARD-AB Miltenberg

CARD-AB Miltenberg

Illustrations by Rita Stern depicting notable landmarks and scenes from the town of Miltenberg in Ge...

1964 New Altenburg Skat cards – German DDR Pattern

New Altenburg Skat cards – German DDR Pattern

Authentic Altenburger Skat cards with German suits (Acorns, Hearts, Leaves, Bells).

1971 German Travel Cards

German Travel Cards

A travel-themed educational deck helping American tourists visiting Germany.

1930 Love Tests

Love Tests

Vintage novelty “Love Test” cards of a slightly saucy nature but all in good fun!

1949 Briefmarken-Quartett

Briefmarken-Quartett

Quartet game featuring postage stamps from the Zones of Occupation in post-WWII Germany.

1986 IG Chemie Papier Keramik

IG Chemie Papier Keramik

Promotional pack designed by Karl-Heinz Schroers for a German trade union with comical bears on the ...

1999 Le Journal de Mickey

Le Journal de Mickey

Perforated sheet of cards with Disney characters issued with the magazine Le Journal de Mickey.

2024 La Réussite (Sébastien Féraut)

La Réussite (Sébastien Féraut)

Sébastien Féraut’s designs inspired by the animal kingdom for a set promoting patience games.

1987 Engel-Tarot

Engel-Tarot

Set of major arcana designed by Alois Hanslian depicting angels throughout.

1544 Virgil Solis

Virgil Solis

Remarkable pack of 52 animal-suited playing-cards designed and etched by Virgil Solis.

1983 Politiker-Skat by Bubec

Politiker-Skat by Bubec

Caricatures of world leaders, including many German politicians, by the artist Bubec.