Heraclio Fournier S.A.
Founded in 1868, today it is part of Cartamundi.
In 1868 Heraclio Fournier González (1849-1916), descendant of renowned master printers of Paris, founded a small playing card factory in Vitoria, Spain. The workshops were originally located in Plaza Nueva where he trialled new printing methods and achieved success with the quality of his playing cards. On his death the business was managed by his nephew Félix Alfaro Fournier (1895–1989) who began the Fournier Playing Card collection (Museo Fournier de Naipes) which is based at Diputación Foral de Álava. Today the playing card business is part of Cartamundi. A history of the company can be found on their website: www.nhfournier.es►
Above: Heraclio Fournier's first playing cards, printed from lithographic stones, 1868. A facsimile edition was published in 1994.
Above: Emilio Soubrier, from the local Art and Design College, was commissioned in 1877 by D. Heraclio Fournier to produce a new definitive set of playing card designs. These were produced with assistance from Ignacio Díaz de Olano (top row). Ten years later, the designs were revised by Augusto Rius and became the standard ‘Castilian’ pattern which is used today around the world (bottom row) see more →
The above newspaper article appeared in August, 1934. The pack referred to in the article is shown below.
Fournier at its best...
Inside the Fournier playing card factory in Vitoria, Spain...
Above: Un empleado de Naipes Fournier en Vitoria comprueba el corte de las cartas read more →
See Online Catalogue of the Museo Fournier de Naipes de Álava►
More examples of playing cards manufactured by Heraclio Fournier S.A.: República Española Souvenir ::: Romance Español ::: Baraja Andaluza ::: Baraja Turistica ::: Monumentos de España ::: El Cid 9th Centenary ::: Fifth Centenary of the Discovery of America ::: Castilian pattern ::: No.35 "Rueda Alada" Catalan pattern ::: No.40 Poker ::: No.505 Poker ::: No.55 Catalan pattern ::: No.5 Catalan pattern ::: No.5P Cadiz pattern for export to Peru ::: Fernando Pessoa & Co Playing Cards ::: Habemus Boda, 2004 ::: №260
By Simon Wintle
Spain • Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
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