Hot-Air Balloons & Co.
Hot-air balloons and airships from the early days to 1988, with designs by S. Baraldi and F. Tacconi.
Every card in this colourful, fully illustrated pack depicts a different hot-air balloon or airship. These include Montgolfières, barrage balloons and Zeppelins. A couple of humans are also included: Leonardo da Vinci (AH), who conceptualised flying machines, and Baron Munchausen (8H, not the 9H as it states on the extra cards), the fictional German nobleman, seen riding on a cannonball. The date of each ascent or exploit is given at the foot of each card. Further descriptive detail can be found on the five extra cards. Icarus appears on the red Joker. According to the extra Joker, the designs can be attributed to S. Baraldi and F. Tacconi. See the box►
Above: Hot-Air Balloons playing cards with designs by S. Baraldi and F. Tacconi published by Lo Scarabeo, Turin, Italy, 2006. 52 cards + 3 Jokers + 5 extra cards with explanatory text in English, Italian, Spanish, French and German, in tuck box. Size: 58 x 88 mm. © 2006 Lo Scarabeo.
I have copies of this pack in stock.
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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