Famous Faces playing cards

Published July 23, 2024 Updated July 23, 2024

Images of the great and the good to be found in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

2004 United Kingdom Offason Art Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery in London opened in 1856. It was arguably the first national public gallery in the world dedicated to portraits. The Chandos portrait of William Shakespeare (JD) was the first painting to enter the gallery’s collection. Since 1969, portraits of living figures have been allowed, such as Kate Winslet (5H) and Michael Caine (3C). Included in this pack are portraits – paintings, drawings and photographs – of 52 different famous men and women from all walks of life. Each one is named. The four Jokers represent an easel, a camera, an artist’s tools and a paint palette.

Famous Faces playing cards printed by Offason of Sweden for the National Portrait Gallery, London, UK, c2004 Famous Faces playing cards printed by Offason of Sweden for the National Portrait Gallery, London, UK, c2004 Famous Faces playing cards printed by Offason of Sweden for the National Portrait Gallery, London, UK, c2004
Famous Faces playing cards printed by Offason of Sweden for the National Portrait Gallery, London, UK, c2004

Above: Famous Faces playing cards printed by Offason of Sweden for the National Portrait Gallery, London, UK, c2004. 52 cards + 4 different Jokers in drop-lid box. Size: 63 x 84 mm.

See the box

avatar
583 Articles

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.

Related Articles

1992 Disney’s Aladdin playing cards

Disney’s Aladdin playing cards

Characters from the 1992 Disney film Aladdin.

2011 2011 Worshipful Company Pack

2011 Worshipful Company Pack

Celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens, with characters adapted from drawings b...

1926 Jockey Club de Buenos Aires

Jockey Club de Buenos Aires

Spanish-suited pack by Chas Goodall & Son Ltd for the Jockey Club, Buenos Aires.

New interest in old games

New interest in old games

Games once fashionable are now eclipsed by quicker gratifications.

1999 Polygo™

Polygo™

Cards of irregular, four-sided shape for playing word and colour games as well as more traditional o...

1995 Treasures from the Bodleian Library

Treasures from the Bodleian Library

Rare books, manuscripts, music scores, portraits, maps, gospels, chronicles and other valuable artef...

1983 Carte di Natale

Carte di Natale

Designed by Pier Canosa as a Christmas pack for the Cortina Art Gallery in Milan.

1863 Victorian grocer’s scale plate

Victorian grocer’s scale plate

Large flat plate decorated with highly coloured English cards and royal arms.

2024 Queen of Arts

Queen of Arts

A wide variety of women artists celebrated on cards with illustrations by Laura Callaghan.

1990 The Glasgow Pack

The Glasgow Pack

Issued to celebrate Glasgow’s reign as European City of Culture in 1990, with city views and works o...

2018 Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards

Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards

54 pictures of different famous cathedrals, abbeys and minsters in England and Wales.

2018 Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols playing cards illustrated by Stuart Dilks

1798 Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...

1920 Question and Answer Games

Question and Answer Games

A card game called “Impertinent Questions and Pertinent Answers” was launched in the early 1920s by ...

1711 Dr Sacheverell

Dr Sacheverell

Dr. Henry Sacheverell's impeachment in 1710 sparked widespread public unrest and political upheaval,...

1990 Leadmill playing cards

Leadmill playing cards

Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.