Hobby horse playing cards
Hobby horse playing cards produced by Michael Evans in a limited edition of 350 packs, 1986.
Announced on the back cover of the March 1986 issue of the EPCS Newsletter, this pack was produced by Michael Evans in a limited edition of 350 packs.
The spade court cards are shown holding garden spades; clubs literally holding clubs; diamond courts holding diamonds with their sharp, sparkly edges; hearts were left to the discretion of the artist, Nicholas Thompson-Moore. He depicts the ace of hearts as a closely drawn pair of French knickers, the jack shows the three broken hearts of the other suits tattooed on his left arm, and “the king and queen trying to be a little bit discrete having been caught red-handed as it were”. Particularly noteworthy is the unusual formation and irregular pattern found on the pip cards. There are 7 different jokers.
Above: Hobby horse playing cards with artwork by Nicholas Thompson-Moore, produced by Michael Evans in a limited edition of 350 packs, 1986.
Above: excerpt from the March 1986 issue of the EPCS Newsletter.
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022
I 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.
Activity for Hobby horse playing cards
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Treasures from the Bodleian Library
Rare books, manuscripts, music scores, portraits, maps, gospels, chronicles and other valuable artef...
The Douce Collection
The Douce Collection of playing cards in the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.
Dorset Dialect Trails
‘Dorset Dialect Trails’ playing cards, United Kingdom, 2015.
The Journey
‘The Journey’ limited edition playing cards produced by Peter Wood, UK, 2008.
Pretty Frills
‘Pretty Frills’ playing cards promoting curtain and blind accessories.
Twin Peaks coffee
‘Twin Peaks coffee’ playing cards produced by Cultzilla, United Kingdom, 2018.
Oxford Pubs playing cards
Oxford pubs souvenir playing cards, United Kingdom, 2008
Ethics Education playing cards
Ethics Education playing cards produced by the Centre for Military Ethics at King’s College London, ...
Oxford Gargoyles
Oxford Gargoyles souvenir playing cards published by Chris Donaghue Photography, Oxford, UK.
Eurocell® playing cards
Promotional playing cards produced by Eurocell® (UPVC window, door, conservatory and roofline system...
Buses playing cards
Playing cards for bus lovers produced by Collectable Cards Limited & Ian Allan Publishing Ltd.
Hackett Magical Christmas Gift Guide playing cards
Hackett Magical Christmas Gift Guide playing cards, United Kingdom, 2017.
The Winning Hand
The Winning Hand playing cards with artwork from multiple artists, United Kingdom, 1993.
Meantime brewery
‘Meantime’ craft brewery playing cards, United Kingdom, c. 2000.
Pack of Cocktails
Pack of Cocktails playing cards published by Figure Dynamics in 1985.
Bank of England playing cards
Bank of England playing cards, reflecting prominent characters and events from the Bank’s history.
Dickens Character Collection
Dickens Character Collection published for a London Casino as a promotional gift.
Even More Trial and Error
“Even More Trial and Error” produced by the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards, United Ki...
Trial and Error
Trial and Error produced by Lance Whitehouse, Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Pla...
The Muddled Menagerie
The Muddled Menagerie card game published by Valentine & Sons Ltd, Dundee & London, c.1900.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
