Shape Up
“Shape Up” playing cards designed by Anthony Harris published by Figure Dynamics in 1985.
This pack was published by Figure Dynamics in 1985 as a sister pack to Pack of Diets, and consists of 52 exercises designed for women by Anthony Harris to be undertaken according to a specified schedule over a period of 21 days. If followed correctly it should be an enjoyable and effective programme. Each suit is devoted to exercising a particular part of the body: hearts – the hips; diamonds – the waist; spades – the bust; clubs – the thighs. There are no jokers, but 3 extra cards detail the 21-day schedule, essential guidelines, and biographical information about Dr Harris►
Above: “Shape Up” playing cards published by Figure Dynamics in 1985.
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.
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