Kinney Transparent Cards

Kinney Brothers Transparent Playing Cards were first issued in c.1890. While the card faces show simplified standard court outlines in monochrome (the same in each suit), hidden humorous or glamorous images can be seen in colour when the cards are held to the light. A fortune prediction was also printed alongside. There were several issues, the first of which contained 52 cards. No joker has ever been seen despite a 53 card variant mentioned on the backs. Tobacco insert cards were widely used to encourage repeat sales to smokers trying to complete sets.

Above: there were several issues of Kinney Transparent Cards, the first of which contained 52 cards with no joker. One edition states “Read Your Fortune” on the back. Kinney Bros issued a wide range of Tobacco insert cards during the 1880s and 1890s, featuring actresses, butterflies, running horses, military series and also the famous Harlequin Cards. See more here►

CREDITS & REFERENCES

Images of Kinney Transparent Cards courtesy Peter Bowie www.cardtraderpete.com►

Photos of the transparent images courtesy David Epps used with permission from here►

Dawson, Tom & Judy: The Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards, U.S. Games Systems Inc., 2000

Murray Cards (International) Limited: Cigarette Card Values, London, 2003

By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

View Articles

Curator 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.