[acetofive] Selected Cards

[acetofive]

Karl Gerich, No22, Rouennias, 1991-1992, in an edition of about 20. If you count every variant there are four versions of his Rouennias designs. His first design resulted in three proof sheets he started as a submission for an exhibition but he missed the deadline and that design went no further (and, as far as anyone knows, he colored only one of those sheets - the one he was going to submit: https://www.wopc.co.uk/uk/karl-gerich/14-rouennais). The next was No20 "Rouennias A" shown earlier in this thread. Third in line is No22 shown here. These cards are a little larger than usual at 66mm x 99mm. Then in 1997 he made a variant of this deck, "KG22B," in an edition of about 6 - he added small sketches to each of the no7 pip cards and drew a new joker. The Rouen pattern has its origins in 15th century France, and helped establish what would eventually evolve into the English pattern.

[acetofive]

Reproduction (no maker, no year, the back, joker, and corner indices differ from the original), "Mediaeval" playing cards, New York Consolidated Card Company, c.1897. Not popular at the time they were published, few survive (Art Nouveau was out of fashion by the 1910s). They come up in auction once in awhile in the 4 digit range. This reproduction is faithful to the artwork but not high quality printing. You can see scans of the original here: https://card-collection.makersofplaying ... W0511.html (link fixed, I hope)

[Bradius]

That deck deserves a serious reproduction!

[acetofive]

Around 1860-1862 a second Russian painter, Alexander Beideman, was commissioned to design another new set of playing cards in addition to the ones Adolph Charlemagne was to produce for the Russian Imperial Card Factory. Beideman produced two sets, but they were (as were Charlemagne's "New Figures") deemed unsuitable for mass printing and were not published at the time. Beideman's artwork was saved and is now preserved at one of the museums in St. Petersburg. The cards seen here were printed in 2018 by Alexander Lutkovskiy. WWPCM has scans which might be of Beideman's original sketches (he doesn't mention their source), as well as another reproduction by E. Grigorenko from 2012 http://a.trionfi.eu/WWPCM/decks02/d00439/d00439.htm.

[acetofive]

Dondorf, Mittelalter, No150. Costumes from the late Middle Ages, printed in 12 color chromolithography. First appeared in 1889. Index characters (in German and English) and a joker added around 1906. Around 1921 a pattern of vertical pale yellow lines appear behind the figures. Sold for some time after 1933 following the sale of the company. I've noticed in later editions sometimes the registration can be very poor. This deck printed prior to 1906 but not one of the earliest editions. You can distinguish the very earliest editions by a change in suit symbols from round convex symbols to symbols with more concave outlines as seen here. In what Braun calls "promotional" versions, the Aces appear without decoration. Not known to have been printed with square corners - always round. Both the figures and backs copied many times since.

[acetofive]

Toscana Playing Cards. 1996 reproduction of an 1850 transformation deck designed by Italian caricaturist Adolfo Matarelli. The reproduction was created by tarot artist Osvaldo Menegazzi in Milan, first as a limited edition under his studio, Il Meneghello, for the Italian market, then again for Cavallini & Co, a paper product and gift manufacturer in San Francisco, for additional distribution outside of Italy (this is the deck I have). For the Italian edition, an explanation card is written in Italian and numbered, in the US edition the card is in English and unnumbered. Osvaldo Menegazzi was also well known for his hand painted tarot cards. He passed away in 2021. His studio in Milan is still open https://www.ilmeneghello.it. You can see more of Cavallini, a mom and pop like studio, here https://www.cavallini.com. There are two variations to the originals, you can see them here https://card-collection.makersofplaying ... W0022.html and here https://card-collection.makersofplaying ... W0023.html

[acetofive]

Dondorf, Hauptstädte Spiel (Capitals Game), Patience No229, in print 1908-1933 (the tax stamp on my deck may date it prior to 1918). Aces feature views of capital cities in Europe at the time (except Zermatt and Rotterdam). Bottom: Full size (60x92mm) variant (No211) with plaid back.

[acetofive]

Chromolithography, single backs (all from decks with standard courts), c1900s-1920s.
Top row:
De la Rue Pneumatic Playing cards, c.1925, advertising cards for P&O-British India Lines, a passenger and freight service from the UK to Egypt, India, the Far East and Australia. "Quis separabit" = Who will keep us apart? The herringbone pattern visible on the back side of the cards a series of ridges pressed into the paper, a process De la Rue invented to provide a cushion of air between cards - pneumatic - preventing them from sticking together.
Second row (l-r):
1) Angel of Peace, 1919, Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards. Designed by Bernard Partridge. Printed by Goodall and Son. 1000 packs were made. 2) Angel of Peace (my theme for this post this December), De La Rue, c1920. 3) De La Rue, "The Fountain." c1920.
Bottom row (l-r):
1) English coat of arms and flowers - Probably "The House of Teck," and VM for Victoria Mary (Queen Mary - Mary of Teck), suggests a date around 1910. 2) BP Grimaud Cie Gle French Line Transatlantique, c1920s. 3) Railway Centenary, 1925, Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards. Designed by Goodall and Son. Upper half - George Stephenson's "Locomotion I" built for the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the first steam powered railway engine to run on a public railway, and in the lower half a "modern" LNER (London and North Eastern Railway) Locomotive. 1500 packs issued.

[Bradius]

Those Angel of Peace cards look amazing. A great post WW1 deck beautifully executed. The others are stunning as well, but the beauty and context of that deck made it stand out for me.

[hsbc]

Interesting that they're all one-way

[acetofive]

This deck by artist and musician Graciela Rodo Boulanger, originally from Bolivia, then Paris. Manufactured by Matthieu Lithographes of France, published by Senans of Bern, Switzerland, c1970 or 1980 depending on the listing (no date on the box). Edition of 9999. The copy I have came with a signed lithograph. I've seen different presentations of this set with and w/o the lithograph, if you're interested in these compare listings before buying. WOPC article about her - https://www.wopc.co.uk/bolivia/graciela-rodo-boulanger.

[kevork]

Just bought myself a set. Thank you

[acetofive]

Nice!

[acetofive]

Dondorf, No27, Patience-Karte Vier Erdteile, a patience size pack in Dondorf's "Four Corners of the World" theme. The deck scanned here dates 1900-1905 (2mm indices, no "GmbH" on the JC), in chromolithgraphy. Text on the Aces identifying the landscapes were printed in French and German. In print for 60 plus years, there are several generations of these courts. If you're interested the second photo may help date them.

---
Variant 1, 1868-1900. A) "Dondorf, Francfort." appears on the back. B) The back under the arrow (first column) doesn’t look like standard chromolithography. I’m not sure how it was made and there's only the vaguest suggestion in one of the Dondorf books I have that another printing method was used in production - I suspect it's the earliest edition. C) None of the books I have account for the change made to the Queen of Spades (and the rest of the pack) in column 3, and no date is given. D) In some packs the swirl pattern on the QS is reversed on one side of her outfit (column 3), in others it’s corrected - no date for that either. E) V1 typically appears with square corners, round corners were made by request. F) Without indices. G) Without jokers.

Variant 2, 1900-1933. Round corners. "Dondorf Francfort" no longer appears on the back. 2mm indices are introduced (shown here), then “later” (no date given) in 3mm. In 1906 "Dondorf GmbH" added to the JC. In 1920 a joker was added.

[acetofive]

Fantasy Rococo deck in French suits, Modiano patience cards, Italy, 1944. These courts first appeared about 1895 as an advertising pack for Austrian Lloyd Steamship Company. They've been in print nearly ever since in various sizes with changes made to the joker, aces, backs, and indices. https://www.wopc.co.uk/italy/austrian-lloyd-steamship

[acetofive]

Dondorf, Luxus Club Karte, 1900-1933. The two decks I have date 1906-1916. Braun describes them as "Old," (first picture) and "New," (second picture) but without dating when they changed. Although the courts were redrawn at some point, Braun lists both as Variant 1 - as they share the same artwork on the back. Variants 2 and 3 have different backs, with Variant 3 designed for export to Denmark. The third photo compares a few of the courts (old left, new right). https://www.wopc.co.uk/germany/dondorf/club-karte-184

[acetofive]

A collection of decorated Dondorf backs, c1860-1933. In no particular order, and not to scale. I started in chronological order but abandoned that pretty quickly. Edit: I goofed earlier - a handful of these (not just one) are from short decks, and a handful are from packs with more than one back design or color (I wanted to fill out a rectangle). -- I have to get more sleep before I post these things.

[acetofive]

Went looking for an Agatha Christie gift for my nephew and found these: Artwork by Ilya Milstein, a NYC artist. Published by Lawrence King, London, 2023. A small booklet provides a little background information for each card: Diamonds = Treasures; Hearts = Clues; Clubs = Murders; Spades = Detectives. Fits nicely in the art deco/hand drawn stuff I like. P.S. Last day to see MOTOE on Netflix is Jan 31. --- https://www.agathachristie.com/games/ag ... ying-cards and amazon.

[Honeybee]

Very cute. Available widely I see and the same pair also produced it as a Bingo game

[Timmargh]

Dondorf, Luxus Club Karte, 1900-1933. The two decks I have date 1906-1916. Braun describes them as "Old," (first picture) and "New," (second picture) but without dating when they changed. Although the courts were redrawn at some point, Braun lists both as Variant 1 - as they share the same artwork on the back. Variants 2 and 3 have different backs, with Variant 3 designed for export to Denmark. The third photo compares a few of the courts (old left, new right). https://www.wopc.co.uk/germany/dondorf/club-karte-184

Old looks better, in my opinion.

[acetofive]

Old looks better, in my opinion.

Yep, agreed. The "sparkle" was lost in the newer artwork. So far I haven't found out why this happened.

Btw - lots of fun going through your card collection.

[Timmargh]

Yep, agreed. The "sparkle" was lost in the newer artwork. So far I haven't found out why this happened.

Btw - lots of fun going through your card collection.

Thanks! Currently trimming it down to a more manageable (and realistic for a single room!) size.

[acetofive]

More examples of chromolithography and other backs c1905-1920s. All from decks with standard courts.

Top row L-R 1-3
1) Dunville's Whisky, Chas. Goodall and Son, UK, <1920.
2) Buchanan's Black and White, Chas. Goodall and Son, UK, <1920.
3) Player's Country Life, Chas. Goodall and Son, UK, c1920. (Not to scale.) By 1920 Player's was 100 years old, and had begun to merge with other firms to fend off competition from the US. At about this time two thirds of all cigarettes sold in England were Player's. They had a huge marketing campaign, producing posters and playing cards.

Bottom L-R 4-7
4) Martini Vermouth/Cocktail, Chas. Goodall and Son, UK, <1920.
5) Mew Langton Brewery Pale Ale Beer, Chas. Goodall and Son, UK, <1920. The brewery was founded in 1814 in Newport, Isle of Wight. Brewing continued in Newport for another 155 years until the company was acquired in 1969. A price list from 1911 lists two pale ales. Best guess as to the date 1911-1920.

6) Antelope (or deer) and tree, USPCC, c1920s.
7) Rose, USPCC, The text "Copyright 1905 [9?] by The US Playing Card Co" appears to the lower left, along the inside of the oval, barely visible. Ridges incorporated into the paper.