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.
Oxford Pubs playing cards
Oxford pubs souvenir playing cards, United Kingdom, 2008
The Forces’ Favourites
The Forces’ Favourites playing cards with glamorous illustrations by David Wright, United Kingdom, 2006.
Collectors pack of Antiques
Collectors pack of Antiques playing cards published by Collectors Cards, Abertillery, South Wales, c.1980.
Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace Kentucky bourbon whiskey promotion playing cards, 2014.
Sleeperhold Publications
Sleeperhold Publications collaborative art playing cards.
Philosophy Football playing cards
Philosophy Football playing cards, United Kingdom, 2002
Art for Life
Art for Life playing cards illustrated by Francesc Artigau i Seguí for the British Red Cross, 2014.
Folio Society Clare Mackie playing cards
Folio Society Clare Mackie playing cards with playful and charming designs.
Versus playing cards
Versus collaborative art playing cards vol.1 & 2, United Kingdom, 2010-2011.
Monkey Shoulder playing cards
Monkey Shoulder whisky advertising playing cards, United Kingdom.
W.C. Fields Commemorative playing cards
W.C. Fields Commemorative playing cards, USA, 1972
Tulsa City-County Library System Annual Report
Tulsa City-County Library System Annual Report playing cards, USA, 1983.
Red & White Wine playing cards
Red & White Wine playing cards published by Inkstone Design, USA, 2003.
Stars of Country Music
Stars of Country Music playing cards with non-standard suit symbols, USA, 1995
1906 Earthquake
Facts, figures, stories and scandals about the 1906 Earthquake published by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
Hooray for Hollywood
‘Hooray for Hollywood’ movie star playing cards produced by Parody Productions, USA, 2006.
New Orleans Suits
New Orleans Suits playing cards designed by Eddie Tebbe, USA, 1999.
The Cooper Union
The Cooper Union caricature playing cards illustrated by Gerry Gersten, United States, c. 1987
Washington Wine
Washington Wine illustrated playing cards, USA, 2004.
Crop Circles collectable playing cards
Crop Circles collectable playing cards with photography by Lucy Pringle, United Kingdom, 2007.
Commedia dell’Carte
Commedia dell’Carte political transformation cards illustrated by Stef van Stiphout, Belgium, 1977.
Unisex playing cards
Unisex playing cards produced by the Unisex Playing Card Company, Ontario, c.1982.
Rembrandt playing cards
Rembrandt playing cards published by the Rembrandthuis (The Rembrandt House Museum) in Amsterdam.
Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art playing cards designed by Takenobu Igarashi.
Ethics Education playing cards
Ethics Education playing cards produced by the Centre for Military Ethics at King’s College London, 2016.
Les Grands Ecrivains
‘Les Grands Ecrivains’ produced for members of “Le Grand Livre du Mois”, France, c. 1970.
Life playing cards: tobacco education
‘Life playing cards: tobacco education’ anti-smoking deck, USA, 2003.
Green Hornet playing cards
Green Hornet playing cards, USA, 1966
African art playing cards
African art and symbolism on playing cards designed by John J. Beckvermit III, USA, 1994.
Night & Day playing cards
‘Night & Day’ playing cards produced by London Underground, United Kingdom
Birds playing cards
Birds playing cards illustrated by Ryuto Miyake, 2019.
Pacific Northwest native Indian masks
Pacific Northwest native Indian masks with artwork by Margaret Parrott, USA, 1992.
Death on Drugs
Death on Drugs playing cards, United States, 1985.
Death Cigarettes
‘Death Cigarettes’ anti-smoking playing cards, USA, 1985.
Lascivious playing cards
Lascivious lingerie playing cards, United Kingdom, c.2005
Youthscape playing cards
Two packs of playing cards offering emotional help and support to young people.
Icelandic picture playing cards / Islensku landslagsspilin
Icelandic picture playing cards with photography by Gudmundur Ingólfsson.
Axminster 100 playing cards
Special non-standard pack produced for Axminster Carpets Ltd.
Dada and Surrealist Art
Dada and Surrealist Art playing cards featuring artwork by Arturo Schwarz, 1998.
David Shrigley Ace playing cards
David Shrigley Ace playing cards, United Kingdom, 2014
Game Over
‘Game Over’ political playing cards from Israel, 2006.
Decadence?
“Decadence?” playing cards published by the Crafts Council, London in 1999.
Russian criminal tattoos and playing cards
Russian criminal tattoos and playing cards, United Kingdom, 2018.
Preposterous playing cards
Preposterous playing cards by Simon Drew published by British Heritage Ltd, Herts.
Wisdom of Wine
Wisdom of Wine playing cards by the English illustrator Simon Drew.
Margaret Parrott playing cards
Margaret Parrott playing cards decorated with whimsical parrots, USA, c. 1997.
Cleveland Museum of Art artists card game
Cleveland Museum of Art artists card game, USA, c.1993.
Farmall playing cards
Farmall playing cards advertising International Harvester tractors, USA, c.2015.
Oxford Gargoyles
Oxford Gargoyles souvenir playing cards published by Chris Donaghue Photography, Oxford, UK.
Soldier’s Deck of Cards
with the sub-title of “Bible reference playing cards”
EclecDeck
EclecDeck transformation playing cards created by Dave Ufford, 2013.