Ilford playing cards
Colourful advertising pack for Ilford designed by Mario Grasso, based on standard English courts.
Surprisingly for a company known for the manufacture of black-and-white film, this pack has extremely colourful court cards. The designs by Mario Grasso (1941-2018) are based on standard English pattern courts: some traditional elements and attributes have been retained, but several of the heads (especially those of the Queens) and costumes are quite far removed from the familiar ones. The back design is in black and white – the word ‘ILFORD’ repeated over and over. The cards have gilt corners. A high-quality board has been used. See the box►
Why would Ilford have used a Swiss illustrator and why would Müller have printed this advertising pack for a UK company? Probably because Ilford at one time had a plant in Switzerland which they developed in partnership with the Swiss company CIBA-Geigy.
Above: Ilford playing cards printed by AG Müller & Cie, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, for Ilford Limited, Basildon, UK, 1981. 52 cards + 3 (identical) Jokers in tuck box. Size: 62 x 87 mm. © 1981, ILFORD Limited, Basildon, Essex, GB.
By Roddy Somerville
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.
Leave a Reply
Your Name
Just now
Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here.
Related Articles
76: Transitions: Hunt & Sons
Styles change and technology develops. This means that it's possible see transition periods in the p...
Typographic Playing Cards
Typographic Playing Cards designed by Jim Sutherland, c.2010.
Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards
Innovative advertising pack for Simpsons of Piccadilly designed by André François.
Scruffy Mutts
‘Scruffy Mutts’ dog-themed playing cards, United Kingdom, c.1998.
Covered bridges playing cards
Historical covered bridges with photography by Bill Miller, 2006.
Hamlet Cigars
Advertising deck for “Hamlet mild cigars”, a Benson & Hedges product.
Smith-Corona Marchant
Simplified yet colourful court card designs by Avoine for Smith-Corona Marchant.
Austria Ski Team playing cards
Photos of members of the Austrian skiing team replace the normal courts on two different packs.
Heathen Divinities
Handmade playing cards from the British Museum depicting classical Greek and Roman gods and goddesse...
1968 Worshipful Company Pack
Commemorating the Games of the XIX Olympiad, Mexico, 1968 (Master: Michael J. Amberg).
Royal Britain
Pack devised by Pietro Alligo depicting English monarchs from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II.
Hand-drawn set of 52 playing cards
An imaginatively hand-drawn set of 52 playing cards by an amateur artist, 18th century.
Unimog UX 100
Cartoons promoting the Unimog UX 100, a small truck produced by Mercedes-Benz.
Famous Faces playing cards
Images of the great and the good to be found in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Star Trek® – The Original Series
Promotional pack for CIC Video with characters and starships from the original series of Star Trek. ...
Go Go Gorillas!
Go Go Gorillas! charity playing cards sponsored by the Eastern Daily Press and the Norwich Evening N...
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
