Panorama playing cards
Panorama playing cards included with a weekly news magazine published in Milan, Italy, c. 1979.
This pack was made by Windmill Playing Card Co. of Hong Kong for Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, the largest publishing company in Italy, for inclusion in Panorama, a weekly news magazine published in Milan. The court cards and 2 jokers feature the brilliant original designs of satirical cartoonist Alfredo Chiappori (1943-2022). The ace of spades shows a windmill within the central suit sign, while the courts show cartoons of legal, religious, military and business figures.
Note
For the record, Giulio Andreotti (1919-2013) is represented on the King of Hearts, while the King of Diamonds depicts the head of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli (1921-2003). The King of Clubs probably represents Giovanni Leone (1908-2001). The red Joker is almost certainly Bettino Craxi (1934-2000). The same back design also exists in red. Sorry I don't know who is on the black Joker. R.S
By Peter Burnett
Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Poker Lusso
Richly costumed courts on a luxury poker pack from Masenghini.
Club Soft Drinks
Promotional pack for Club soft drinks with amusing illustrations of different kinds of ‘club’.
Mit Rhino auftrumpfen
Black rhinos on a publicity pack for Armstrong, a flooring company, with comic designs by Pit Flick....
Pinocchio playing cards
Comic book drawings inspired by Carlo Collodi’s children’s classic, Pinocchio.
Le Ore playing cards
Caricatures of famous personalities from the late 1970s for the Italian magazine Le Ore.
Carte Romantiche Italiane
Scenes of life and the theatre in Milan towards the second half of the 19th century.
Guanlangaoshou / Slam Dunk playing cards
Basketball-themed manga animated playing cards from Japan.
Lo Stampatore
‘Lo Stampatore’ linocut images created by Sergio Favret, published as a deck of cards by Editions So...
Leonardo collection
Leonardo collection playing cards with drawings from his notebooks.
Lo Cartescacco / Chess playing cards
Playing cards designed by F. Romagnoli bringing together Chess and Bridge, Italy, c. 1981.
Il Vostro Destino
Italian fortune-telling pack produced by Viassone and later by Masenghini.
San Paolo Shakespeare
San Paolo Shakespeare, Italy, 1978
Le Carte di Forattini
Political caricatures by Giorgio Forattini published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Italy, 1993.
San Paolo Chekhov
Characters from Chekhov’s plays designed by Paolo Fresu for San Paolo Istituto Bancario, Italy, c.19...
Storia del Fascismo - gioco di carte
‘Storia del Fascismo’ playing cards depicting persons, symbols and artifacts associated with Italian...
Wedding of Krechinsky • Свадьба Кречинского
A pack of cards depicting characters from the famous play "The Wedding of Krechinsky" by Sukhovo-Kob...
Jeu des Médecins
Cartoons of doctors and nurses by Pino Zac, published by B.P. Grimaud in 1983.
Le Giscarte
Le Giscarte political playing cards designed by Eddy Munerol, France, 1976.
The Lovers playing cards
Reproductions of old postcards with romantic messages for Valentine’s Day.
I Gatti Originali di Evelyne Nicod
Etchings of cats on a set of major arcana created by Evelyne Nicod.
Carte Osteologiche
Skulls and bones of all descriptions have become the suits and pips in this 40-card pack from Italy....
Marcello Morandini
Modern designs by Italian artist Marcello Morandini using the simplest of forms and colours.
K Deck
“K Deck” political playing cards, USA, c. 2004.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! playing cards
Strange facts from Robert Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not’ books, in the form of cartoons.
Politicards 1996
Politicards ’96 with satirical caricatures on every card by Peter Green, USA.
Playing Politics ’92: Pack of lies
Playing Politics ’92: Pack of lies with caricatures by Grant Robertson, UK.
B-Deck
“B-Deck” scurrilous playing cards poking fun at a former UK prime minister.
Tottering-by-Gently
‘Tottering-by-Gently’ playing cards with cartoons by Annie Tempest.
Storia del Fascismo
Published by Il Meneghello, this pack provides a visual history of Fascism in Italy between 1919 and...
Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot
Giuliano Costa's Jack-O’-Lantern tarot blends Rider-Waite symbolism with the rich and atmospheric th...
Tarot of the Unknown
Inspired by the Halloween Cartoon “Over the Garden Wall”.
Schwarze Katze (or Gioco del Gatto Nero)
Reproduction of a 40-card transformation pack with designs by “WS”, adapted for the game of Black Ca...
Hot-Air Balloons & Co.
Hot-air balloons and airships from the early days to 1988, with designs by S. Baraldi and F. Tacconi...
Carte da Gioco Mongolfiere
Various hot-air balloons on a pack from a small Florentine publisher.
Marcel Ruijters Tarots
Two very remarkable tarots by the award winning Dutch cartoonist Marcel Ruijters.
Mickey Mouse Rummy
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other Disney characters on a pack made for Eastern Europe.
Mercante in Fiera di Jacovitti
Traditional Italian card game with comic designs by Benito Jacovitti.
Le Nuove Minchiate di Firenze
Costante Costantini's second Minchiate deck, “Le Nuove Minchiate di Firenze”, was published by Solle...
Bolognese pattern
Standard Bolognese pattern pack by Murari of Bari.
Minchiate Fiorentine
Minchiate Fiorentine created by Costante Costantini, published by Edizioni del Solleone.