Monarch Bicycle
The company advertised themselves as “The Monarch King of all Cycles” with the lion's head motif inside a bicycle wheel.


Monarch Bicycle playing cards are an early example of non-standard designs used for advertising. The company advertised itself as “The Monarch King of all Cycles” with a lion's head motif inside a bicycle wheel. The four Kings depict Tom Cooper (1874–1906), an 1890s champion bicycle racer and early auto racing ‘speed king’ who unfortunately died in an auto accident. The four Aces, and also the box, contain bicycle wheels.
Right: "Murray's Patent Finger Recess" referred to on the box flap refers to Samuel J. Murray
who worked for Russell & Morgan until 1886. Click to zoom→
Interestingly, the format of the court card designs in this deck appears to have been used in other advertising decks. They may have triggered the idea for the Stage No.65 theatre stars deck published in the following year.

Above: the extremely rare “Monarch Bicycle” advertising playing cards manufactured by U.S.P.C.C. in 1895. 52 cards + joker + extra joker in box. The four queens have the inscription “Copyright 1895 by W. M. Morrison” around the bottom of each oval. W. M. Morrison was a noted photographer, perhaps focusing on sport and theatre related subjects. The four queens feature the famous actress Lillian Russell (1860–1922). We don't know why the four jacks contain Asses; perhaps to be interpreted as Jackass, which, in America at least, denotes a fool. Images courtesy Rod Starling.

Above: six of the different Monarch back designs. The graphics are all the same, but the colour combinations are different. Image courtesy Joseph Pierson.

Above: Monarch Bicycle advertisement, 1895.


Above: back and front of a Monarch Bicycle trade card. Image courtesy Joseph Pierson.
REFERENCES & CREDITS
• see also: W. M. Morrison Photography.
All images on this page, unless noted otherwise, are from the collection of Rod Starling, author of "The Art and Pleasures of Playing Cards".

By Rod Starling
Member since January 09, 2013
View ArticlesRod Starling is one of the founding members of the 52 Plus Joker card collectors club. He has written many articles for the club's quarterly newsletter, Clear the Decks. His collection still encompasses both foreign and American decks. Rod has also authored a book titled The Art and Pleasures of Playing Cards.
Also by Rod Starling
Download as Adobe PDF files:
"Playing Card Art Collectors Extraordinaire"
"Shuffling Along With History"
"Steamboat Cards and the Mississippi Mystique"