The World of Playing Cards Logo
Published December 25, 2014 Updated June 21, 2022

Michie Tavern Museum

Historic Michie Tavern Museum playing cards by Brown & Bigelow.

1945 USA Brown & Bigelow Advertising Add to Collection

Historic Michie Tavern Museum

www.michietavern.com

Playing cards manufactured by Brown & Bigelow, St Paul, Minnesota, USA.

Above: Brown & Bigelow's most common ace of spades and joker c.1945-1980s but the court card designs (left) were modernised in the 1960s. Images courtesy Matt Probert.

avatar
308 Articles

By Matt Probert

Member since March 02, 2012

I have adored playing cards since before I was seven years old, and was brought up on packs of Waddington's No 1. As a child I was fascinated by the pictures of the court cards.

Over the next fifty years I was seduced by the artwork in Piatnik's packs and became a collector of playing cards.

Seeking more information about various unidentified packs I discovered the World of Playing Cards website and became an enthusiastic contributor researching and documenting different packs of cards.

I describe my self as a playing card archaeologist, using detective work to identify and date obscure packs of cards discovered in old houses, flea markets and car boot sales.


Related Articles

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs

A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Joker

Woodblock and Stencil Joker

A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts

A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

2023 House of Tudor

House of Tudor

Randy Butterfield's House of Tudor playing cards feature detailed art in a high-quality collectible ...

1968 Albano-Waite® Tarot

Albano-Waite® Tarot

Recoloured version of the Rider/Waite/Smith tarot produced by Frankie Albano, 1968.

2015 Branle playing cards

Branle playing cards

‘Branle’ playing cards inspired by a 12th-century dance, produced by Noir Arts, USA, 2015.

2019 Umbrella Academy playing cards

Umbrella Academy playing cards

Umbrella Academy playing cards created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, USA, 2019.

2007 Shrek the Third playing cards

Shrek the Third playing cards

Characters from the 2007 film Shrek the Third, a DreamWorks Animation production.

2015 Mardi Gras playing cards

Mardi Gras playing cards

Mardi Gras playing cards illustrated by Dave Edgerly, USA, 2015

2016 Romeo and Juliet playing cards

Romeo and Juliet playing cards

Romeo and Juliet playing cards illustrated by Belgian artist Virginie Carquin 2016.

1983 Jeu de cartes Armelle

Jeu de cartes Armelle

Advertising pack designed by James Hodges for a company specialising in regional cakes and biscuits....

1979 Morgan-Greer Tarot

Morgan-Greer Tarot

Based on the knowledge, wisdom and interpretation of Paul Foster Case and Arthur Edward Waite.

2013 Jane Austen playing cards

Jane Austen playing cards

Jane Austen playing cards published by Prospero Art, USA, 2013.

1970 Louis De Poortere

Louis De Poortere

Psychedelic designs promoting Louis De Poortere, a company selling carpets and rugs.

75: Early American cards

75: Early American cards

An overview of some of the early cards made in the United States.

Fox Lake Playing Cards

Fox Lake Playing Cards

A Magician’s Perspective.

2019 Murphy Varnish pack

Murphy Varnish pack

Reproduction of the 1883 Murphy Varnish transformation pack, USA, 2019

1996 New Palladini Tarot

New Palladini Tarot

“The New Palladini Tarot” by David Palladini published by U.S. Games Inc., in 1996.

1970 The Aquarian Tarot Deck

The Aquarian Tarot Deck

The Aquarian Tarot Deck illustrated by David Palladini, published by Morgan Press, Inc., 1970.

2019 Pendleton playing cards

Pendleton playing cards

Pendleton playing cards inspired by indigenous American artwork, USA, 2019.

2015 Aztec Codex playing cards

Aztec Codex playing cards

Aztec Codex playing cards illustrated by Emmanuel Valtierra, USA, ©2015.

1967 Linweave Tarot

Linweave Tarot

The Linweave Tarot is actually an elaborate set of paper samples from the Pulp, Paper and Board Divi...

2017 Map of the world in full bloom

Map of the world in full bloom

Map of the world in full bloom, USA, 2017

2010 Specsavers playing cards

Specsavers playing cards

to help you see better when playing cards

2017 Know your deplorables

Know your deplorables

Photographs of political and media figures associated with the Presidency of Donald Trump (2017-2021...

2003 Historic Early Aviation

Historic Early Aviation

Reproductions of cigarette cards from 1910 on the subject of the early days of aviation.

1994 The Age of Dinosaurs playing cards

The Age of Dinosaurs playing cards

Dinosaurs from different ages and locations, with artwork by Virginijus Poshkus.

2020 3-D Dino Cards

3-D Dino Cards

Lenticular images of different, unnamed dinosaurs on all-plastic cards.

2019 Tarot of the Unknown

Tarot of the Unknown

Inspired by the Halloween Cartoon “Over the Garden Wall”.

1991 Dino Deck playing cards

Dino Deck playing cards

A different dinosaur for each of the four suits, two printed in red and two in blue.

2004 On-line offsite data backup

On-line offsite data backup

On-line offsite data backup publicity playing cards produced by The Bunker, United Kingdom, c. 2004....

1968 Möbel-Spiel

Möbel-Spiel

Publicity pack for the East German furniture industry, with designs by Werner-Hans Schlegel.

2020 Eclipse Comic playing cards (reproduction)

Eclipse Comic playing cards (reproduction)

Eclipse Comic playing cards is a reproduction of the first transformation pack printed in the USA in...

2018 Old West Guns

Old West Guns

Old West Guns playing cards containing information about firearms from the Old West, USA.

1986 Clamcleats playing cards

Clamcleats playing cards

Clamcleats playing cards for sailors designed by Celia Allison, New Zealand, 1986.

Pretty Frills

Pretty Frills

‘Pretty Frills’ playing cards promoting curtain and blind accessories.

1993 Centennial Olympic Games playing cards

Centennial Olympic Games playing cards

Centennial Olympic Games playing cards celebrating the centenary of the modern Olympic Games, 1896-1...

1997 Y-ME playing cards

Y-ME playing cards

Works by 54 American artists in aid of a breast cancer charity.

2015 Malam playing cards

Malam playing cards

Malam playing cards created by Michael Muldoon, USA, 2015.

2017 Netter playing cards

Netter playing cards

Anatomical playing cards published by Elsevier, USA, 2017.

2007 Star Wars: a New Hope

Star Wars: a New Hope

‘Star Wars: a New Hope’ playing cards to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film Star Wars, USA, ...

1953 American President Lines

American President Lines

American President Lines shipping souvenir playing cards, early to mid-1950s.

1978 Royal Hawaiian playing cards

Royal Hawaiian playing cards

Royal Hawaiian playing cards published by the Royal Hawaiian Playing Card Company, Honolulu.