Jazz Legends playing cards
52 different photographs of famous jazz musicians.
Jazz is a music genre which originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, USA, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Depicted here are 52 different jazz musicians – singers and instrumentalists – mainly from the 1950s and 1960s. All the photographs were taken by Sweden’s most famous jazz photographer, Bengt H. Malmqvist (1928-2008), who in his work succeeded in capturing the joy and intensity of effort involved in the creation and performance of jazz music. More information about the photographer can be found on the inner side of the box lid. Among the famous names included here are Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald. The Jokers feature different instruments. See the box►
Above: Jazz Legends playing cards printed by Offason AB, Sweden, c.2007. 52 cards + 3 Jokers + 1 extra card in drop-lid box. Size: 63 x 84 mm.
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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