The World of Playing Cards Logo

The Cooper Union

Published March 24, 2023 Updated March 24, 2023

The Cooper Union caricature playing cards illustrated by Gerry Gersten, United States, c. 1987

1987 USA U.S. Games Systems Gerry Gersten Caricatures Cartoon

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art was founded in 1859 by the industrialist Peter Cooper (1791-1883) to improve and elevate the working classes. On February 27, 1860, the school's Great Hall, located in the basement level of the Foundation Building, became the site of a historic address by Abraham Lincoln, and since then, the Great Hall has hosted historic addresses by numerous American Presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and major figures from the political, social, economic, philosophical and literary fields.

This pack, published by U.S. Games Systems, c. 1987, features brilliant drawings on each card of all the famous persons that have spoken at the Great Hall of the Cooper Union. The illustrations were drawn by the political caricaturist Gerry Gersten (1927-2017). See the box

The Cooper Union caricature playing cards illustrated by Gerry Gersten and published by U.S. Games Systems, c. 1987 The Cooper Union caricature playing cards illustrated by Gerry Gersten and published by U.S. Games Systems, c. 1987

Above: The Cooper Union caricature playing cards illustrated by Gerry Gersten and published by U.S. Games Systems, c. 1987.

The pack has 52 suited cards + 2 Jokers + 2 additional cards + plus a booklet written by Emily Schifrin containing brief biographies of the speakers featured on the cards.

avatar
527 Articles

By Peter Burnett

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.

Russian Playing Cards

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.


Leave a Reply

Default Avatar
Your Name
Just now

Create account to comment Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here.


Related Articles

2021 Junior Playing Cards

Junior Playing Cards

Child-friendly versions of standard English pattern cards designed by Louie Mantia, Jr.

2021 Last Call Cats playing cards

Last Call Cats playing cards

Bar-crawling cats, designed by artists Arna Miller and Ravi Zupa.

2006 La Baraja del Mundial

La Baraja del Mundial

“La Baraja del Mundial” satirical football deck published by Fournier for ‘Interviú’ news magazine. ...

2006 Covered bridges playing cards

Covered bridges playing cards

Historical covered bridges with photography by Bill Miller, 2006.

1981 Motherpeace Round Tarot

Motherpeace Round Tarot

An original and imaginative feminist tarot based on Goddess energy.

1986 Victorian playing cards

Victorian playing cards

54 different card designs including people, animals, flowers, costumes and ornaments popular during ...

1980 Crown Hill playing cards

Crown Hill playing cards

Crown Hill playing cards with illustrations by Corrine Guiney, USA,

1974 O-Shlemiel card game

O-Shlemiel card game

O-Shlemiel card game with Yiddish words and phrases.

2024 Hesslers Four-Colour “No Revoke” Deck

Hesslers Four-Colour “No Revoke” Deck

Hesslers Maiden Back Four-Colour “No Revoke” Deck, with enhanced visibility and a traditional look. ...

2011 The Heart Deck™

The Heart Deck™

Useful information about heart health on every card.

1996 Unimog UX 100

Unimog UX 100

Cartoons promoting the Unimog UX 100, a small truck produced by Mercedes-Benz.

1989 Juristenskat

Juristenskat

Caricatures of lawyers and judges by Philipp Heinisch for HEEL Verlag.

1996 Star Trek® – The Original Series

Star Trek® – The Original Series

Promotional pack for CIC Video with characters and starships from the original series of Star Trek. ...

1973 Colonial Art

Colonial Art

A collection of 53 pieces of art showcasing detailed scenes from early American colonial life.

2012 Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom

Crafted by Hatch Design and benefitting the World Wildlife Fund, animal heads replace the traditiona...

Classification of Numeral Card Designs in French-suited packs

Classification of Numeral Card Designs in French-suited packs

The classification of numeral cards in French-suited packs, covering various pip designs in over 400...