Lever Brothers miniatures
Two miniature card games promoting Vim Scouring Powder and Sunshine Soap, 1930s.

Two Lever Brothers miniature card games promoting Vim and Sunshine Soap, 1930s.
The Sunlight Geographic Game
Sunlight household soap was introduced by the British company Lever Brothers in 1884. The Sunlight Geographic Game cards (published c.1930s) make up a map of England and Wales. See the Box►
The index numbers on the cards are used for scoring. See the Rules►

Above: The Sunlight Geographic Game, 1930s. Card size = 35mm x 52mm.
The Game of Vim Pairs
Vim Scouring Powder first appeared on the market in 1904 and was a Lever Brothers product at the time but the brand is currently owned by European multi-national Henkel Group. Vim was produced at Port Sunlight near Liverpool which is shown on the Geographical Game map (above). See the Rules► See the Box►

Above: Lever Brothers miniature card game promoting Vim, 1930s. 30 cards plus the coloured Dirty Work Card. The black and white Dirty Work card is the back design. Card size = 35mm x 52mm.

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.
His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.
Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.
Related Articles

The Molassine Company and its link to Whist and Bridge
A savvy marketing strategy blending Victorian decorative design with Edwardian practicality.

Waddington’s faux books
Waddington’s faux book set containing four packs of playing cards and bridge markers.

Double Dummy Bridge
In the early 20th century several firms began to promote whist or bridge as a game for two.

Ogdens Beauties & Military cigarette cards
Cigarette cards featuring beauties and military uniforms with playing-card insets.

Boddingtons Bitter playing cards
Cool-looking courts advertising Boddingtons Bitter, originally brewed in Manchester.

AKA M5 Motorway
Promotional playing cards for the Hungarian M5 Toll Motorway between Budapest and Röszk.

OXO Faces of the Millennium Dinner
Twentieth-century personalities promoting a millennium dinner at the Oxo Tower in London.

Pathé Marconi
Special promotion pack for French record company Pathé Marconi.

Kids Fun Box playing cards
Colourful cards for children with four non-standard suits connected with the natural world.

Tangle Foot Ale
Badger Brewery Tangle Foot strong ale advertising pack.

ViVa Bourg
A distinctive deck of cards for a specific promotion.

Dancing
“Dancing” playing cards manufactured by Nintendo for Torii Dance School, Osaka.

Scientific Whist
“Scientific Whist” : standard cards with instructions for play on the faces by Chas Goodall & Son, 1...

Agent Provocateur
Branded lingerie collection in a pack of pin-up playing cards.

Shin-Tōmei Expressway Opening Commemoration
Promotional playing cards for the Shin-Tōmei Expressway, a major Japanese expressway that opened in ...

Nimbus playing cards
Mike Steer’s weather-themed pack with suits in four colours and backs for cardistry.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days