The World of Playing Cards Logo

Club Bridge

Published July 18, 2014 Updated April 09, 2024

Modiano’s ‘Club Bridge’ is a new edition of a stylish deck originally published in c.1895.

1990 Italy Modiano Art & Design Bridge

Modiano Club Bridge

Modiano’s ‘Club Bridge’ is a new edition of a classic deck originally published by D. Modiano for the Austrian Lloyd Steamship Company of Trieste in c.1895, but this time with the addition of four indices, a new joker and a ‘Club’ back design which give players additional satisfaction in the design of the cards.

The superb artwork and attention to detail evokes the luxurious atmosphere of high-end land-based casinos where you could see and feel the beauty and artistry of such cards, unlike those in a virtual live baccarat game where the cards are just plain simple. Even after 100 years, the smart designs are very appealing and it's easy to see why they are so successful. Decks of Modiano playing cards designed by top graphic artists, as well as all the Italian regional standard patterns, printed on the finest material, are still on sale throughout the world, even though the Trieste factory has since passed to other hands. In 1987 Modiano was bought by Grafad, a paper and cardboard industry.

Modiano ‘Club Bridge’, 1990s

Above: Modiano ‘Club Bridge’ with elegant court card designs, 1990s. Size = 63 x 88 mm. Images courtesy Rex Pitts.

Saul D. Modiano (1834-1922) was an entrepreneur who made the Modiano name famous all over the world with playing cards and fine cigarette paper which he manufactured in his factories in Trieste and Bologna. The first factory was established in 1873 and the business expanded rapidly. In 1884 chromolithographic printing facilities were added to produce artistic prints of superior quality. It was here that Modiano started producing playing cards, known as the “Great Mogul”, for which there was enormous demand from India. At a later stage the factory was placed under the direction of Giacomo Modiano (b.1911), grandson of Saul's brother Giacomo. Giacomo junior had a brother Marcello (1914-93) who was President of Confindustria, the Italian Federation of Small Industries, and later was elected member of the European Parliament. In 1987 Modiano was bought by Grafad, a paper and cardboard industry.

REFERENCES

Modiano website

Modiano family website

Note from Roddy Somerville

I have a different Ace of Hearts in my copy of Modiano's Club Bridge pack which is also a different size: 58 x 88 mm. The colouring on the courts also differs slightly between the two versions. I have no idea what the initials "M.R.C.D." stand for - does anyone have any ideas? R.S.

avatar
774 Articles

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

Member since January 30, 2009

Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.

His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.

Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.

Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.

His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.


Leave a Reply

Default Avatar
Your Name
Just now

Create account to comment Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here.


Related Articles

2010 Typographic Playing Cards

Typographic Playing Cards

Typographic Playing Cards designed by Jim Sutherland, c.2010.

2022 Damn! Fools by Moon

Damn! Fools by Moon

Damn! Fools playing cards designed by Leo Scherfig, 2022.

1875 Neapolitan pattern by Luigi Pignalosa, Naples

Neapolitan pattern by Luigi Pignalosa, Naples

Two versions of the Neapolitan pattern from the British Museum by Luigi Pignalosa, Naples, 1875 & 18...

1980 Crown Hill playing cards

Crown Hill playing cards

Crown Hill playing cards with illustrations by Corrine Guiney, USA,

1995 Dylan Dog

Dylan Dog

Characters and objects from the Italian comic book series Dylan Dog, written by Tiziano Sciavi and d...

Heathen Divinities

Heathen Divinities

Handmade playing cards from the British Museum depicting classical Greek and Roman gods and goddesse...

2006 Royal Britain

Royal Britain

Pack devised by Pietro Alligo depicting English monarchs from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II.

Portrait Playing Cards

Portrait Playing Cards

Portrait playing cards, featuring realistic drawings of people on the court cards instead of traditi...

2021 Le Monde Primitif Tarot

Le Monde Primitif Tarot

Facsimile edition produced by Morena Poltronieri & Ernesto Fazioli of Museo Internazionale dei Taroc...

1996 I Tarocchi del Buongustaio

I Tarocchi del Buongustaio

A less-than-serious set of major arcana on a gourmet theme, with designs by Cosimo Musio.

1975 Poker Lusso

Poker Lusso

Richly costumed courts on a luxury poker pack from Masenghini.

1997 Pinocchio playing cards

Pinocchio playing cards

Comic book drawings inspired by Carlo Collodi’s children’s classic, Pinocchio.

1980 Le Ore playing cards

Le Ore playing cards

Caricatures of famous personalities from the late 1970s for the Italian magazine Le Ore.

1984 Carte Romantiche Italiane

Carte Romantiche Italiane

Scenes of life and the theatre in Milan towards the second half of the 19th century.

1977 Lo Stampatore

Lo Stampatore

‘Lo Stampatore’ linocut images created by Sergio Favret, published as a deck of cards by Editions So...

2015 Leonardo collection

Leonardo collection

Leonardo collection playing cards with drawings from his notebooks.