Peter Burnett
Member since July 27, 2022I 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.
FDR New Deal Deck
Facsimile of ‘FDR New Deal Deck’ of 1934 re-published by Bill Schroeder, USA, 2010.
Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites
Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites, USA, 2008
Politically Wild John McCain
“Politically Wild John McCain” published by Newt’s Playing Cards, USA, 2008.
Mohegan Sun playing cards
Mohegan Sun playing cards published by Gemaco for Mohegan Sun casino.
Undressed deck
Undressed deck created by Edi Rudo and Néro Catineau, USA, 2020.
Fate fortune telling cards
Fate fortune telling cards published by Merrimack Publishing Corporation, USA.
Politicards 2004
Politicards 2004 with satirical cartoons by the award-winning illustrator Peter Green, USA.
Politicards 1971
Politicards 1971 for the presidential election in which Richard Nixon won a landslide victory.
Politicards 1996
Politicards ’96 with satirical caricatures on every card by Peter Green, USA.
Politicards 1984
Politicards 1984 with caricatures by Donald Gates, published by the Kamber Group, USA.
Politicards 1980
Politicards 1980 in which Ronald Reagan defeated the incumbent Jimmy Carter, with caricatures by Keith Nichols, USA.
Royal flash playing cards
Royal flash playing cards with non-standard suits, USA, 1974.
Ms. playing cards
‘Ms. playing cards’ promoting votes for women, USA, 1975.
Old Met playing cards
Old Met playing cards published by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, USA, 1986.
Playing Politics 2010
“Playing Politics ’10: With no expenses spared” featuring caricatures by Oliver Preston, published by InterCol London, UK.
Playing Politics ’92: Pack of lies
Playing Politics ’92: Pack of lies with caricatures by Grant Robertson, UK.
Don Quixote playing cards
Don Quixote playing cards designed by Nam Tibon, USA, 2016.
B-Deck
“B-Deck” scurrilous playing cards poking fun at a former UK prime minister.
52 Ways to talk about adoption
‘52 Ways to talk about adoption’ family-centred playing cards produced by the Center for Adoption Support and Education, USA.
Calaveras De Azúcar
Calaveras De Azúcar playing cards produced by Natalia Silva, USA, 2017.
Russian folk art playing cards
Russian folk art playing cards produced by Natalia Silva, USA, 2017.
Trump playing cards
Trump playing cards produced by the Godesky brothers, USA, 2016.
Winstanley Geographical cards
Facsimile of Winstanley’s Geographical cards produced by Harold & Virginia Wayland, 1967.
Brooks dna playing cards
Brooks dna playing cards produced by Gemaco for Brooks running shoes.
Artist’s Aces of Spades
Artist’s Aces of Spades deck published by Robert Billingsley, USA, 1986.
Meal Tub Plot
Meal Tub Plot playing cards [facsimile] with 17th century sketches by Francis Barlow.
Golf playing cards
Golf playing cards published by Marks & Spencer, UK.
5th Kingdom playing cards
5th Kingdom Luxury playing cards designed by Maria Fedoseeva, USA, 2020.
Great inventions playing cards
Great inventions playing cards designed by Gary Wyatt, United Kingdom, 2011.
Mass Effect playing cards
Mass Effect playing cards published by Dark Horse Deluxe, USA, 2012.
Bush League Allstars
Six different decks of “Bush League Allstars” political playing cards, United States, 2004.
Gone to Pot: Gardener’s playing cards
‘Gone to Pot’: special playing cards for keen gardeners, United Kingdom.
Tottering-by-Gently
‘Tottering-by-Gently’ playing cards with cartoons by Annie Tempest.
Bettie Page playing cards
Bettie Page pin-up playing cards with photographs taken by Bunny Yaeger.
Keep-em honest playing cards
Keep-em honest playing cards designed by Chris Cooper and published by Dark Horse Deluxe.
Sally Ferries playing cards
Sally Ferries Euro playing cards and phrase pack, United Kingdom, c.1990s.
Don’t come back
“Don’t come back” playing cards produced by Hounslow NHS Primary Care Trust and Feltham Young Offender’s Institution, United Kingdom
Les métiers et leurs protecteurs
“Les métiers et leurs protecteurs” playing cards published by Editions Dusserre, c. 1995.
Branle playing cards
‘Branle’ playing cards inspired by a 12th-century dance, produced by Noir Arts, USA, 2015.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
“Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots” video game characters on playing cards, Japan, 2008
Umbrella Academy playing cards
Umbrella Academy playing cards created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, USA, 2019.
Mardi Gras playing cards
Mardi Gras playing cards illustrated by Dave Edgerly, USA, 2015
Romeo and Juliet playing cards
Romeo and Juliet playing cards illustrated by Belgian artist Virginie Carquin 2016.
Banjo playing cards
Banjo playing cards featuring the collection of Akira Tsumura, Japan, c. 1978.
Jane Austen playing cards
Jane Austen playing cards published by Prospero Art, USA, 2013.
Murphy Varnish pack
Reproduction of the 1883 Murphy Varnish transformation pack, USA, 2019
Pendleton playing cards
Pendleton playing cards inspired by indigenous American artwork, USA, 2019.
Aztec Codex playing cards
Aztec Codex playing cards illustrated by Emmanuel Valtierra, USA, ©2015.
Map of the world in full bloom
Map of the world in full bloom, USA, 2017
Know your deplorables
Photographs of political and media figures associated with the Presidency of Donald Trump (2017-2021).
On-line offsite data backup
On-line offsite data backup publicity playing cards produced by The Bunker, United Kingdom, c. 2004.