Wiggins Teape “Hi-Speed” playing cards
Wiggins Teape “Hi-Speed” playing cards manufactured by Waddingtons, c.1970.
“Time is also musical, a magazine, in the plural a newspaper, and even military in the sense that army units march at different rates of step per minute. Indeed, so many verbal and visual images are conjured up by the word Time, that we decided it would make an ideal subject for showing off Hi-Speed printing papers.” - from the book “On Time” published by Wiggins Teape Group Advertising Division to advertise their “Hi-Speed” printing papers.
Special pack of playing cards for Wiggins Teape “Hi-Speed” printing papers, manufactured by John Waddington Ltd, 1970s. The same court figures, based on the standard designs by Goodall, are used in each suit, but with different colours and the addition of decorative speed stripes on the suit symbols, suggesting energy, fast speed and perhaps the winner of the race. The four Aces carry advertising slogans.



Above: Wiggins Teape “Hi-Speed” playing cards manufactured by John Waddington Ltd, c.1970.

By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
View ArticlesCurator and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.