[acetofive] Selected Cards c1860+

[acetofive]

Transsiberian Express, artwork by Veronika Nicolaeva, 2015. Our friend Räpylätassu notes these were printed in Finland and made in honor of the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Moscow-Vladivostok railroad track. There are two versions, English and Russian, 300 packs each. This is the English version. The Russian version has a different Joker, the box and extra cards are in Russian. The back design shows the rare Amur Leopard, national symbol of Siberia. You can see cards from the Russian version on UC in this thread .

[kevork]

I keep trying to find this one at an affordable price but I may have to accept that's not possible. Thanks for sharing!!

[acetofive]

c1880-1900(?), 11 and 12 spot playing cards, United States Playing Card Company. 11 and 12 spot cards were added to a deck to allow a game of six-handed 500 (13 spot cards in red suits were added later). Normally USPCC sold "500" packs with all the necessary cards included but the cards shown here are housed in their own sealed wrapper. It's unclear if this packet was included inside of a preexisting pack or sold separately. It does have its own seal and stamp.

The back on these cards is the same painting as one of the two backs that appear on USPCC's rare Norwood 85 decks - same painting, different frame - you couldn't confuse the two. (I think the number of known Norwood 85s is currently at 10).

https://www.wopc.co.uk/usa/the-united-s ... any/no-500

Update: USPCC moved to Cincinnati in April 1900, in light of the stamp on the wrapper, that dates these 1900 or later.

[acetofive]

Dondorf, L'Hombre No.60. c1910-1930(?). This deck c1920.
One of the four decks of cards Dondorf produced for Adolph Wulff. This was simpler in design and production, with Danish index marks. "Eneret" translates to "Exclusive," presumably for Adolph Wulff (Joop interprets this as "Copyright"). Unlike the cards Dondorf made for Voigt in Copenhagen, "Dondorf" does not appear on these cards. Wulff's name instead appears on the JS (Kn). L'Hombre is a seventeenth-century card game which is still played in Denmark. There is an earlier version with much smaller index marks.

[Honeybee]

I know that cards do not have to have index marks but "much smaller index marks" than these would require a magnifying glass!

[acetofive]

Dondorf, Poker Spielkarten, No 191 (Braun #V1Aa). 1900-1906(?). "International" image cards. Dondorf introduced this series in 1889, and continued until 1933.

[acetofive]

La Traviata, 1985, by Erté (Romain de Tirtoff, 1892-1990), commissioned by Dunhill of London, often attributed to Carte Mundi, probably printed by A.S.S. (s. Roddy Somerville, WOPC). As explained in the leaflet, the opera plays out across all of the cards.

[acetofive]

Harry Margary's 1978 reproduction of The Beggar's Opera playing cards, first published in 1728 in the UK by John Bowles, following the successful premier of the opera the same year. Bowles’ cards stayed in production through the 1700s, as the play proved very popular, though not many survive. In 2005 Christie's auctioned an original pack for 2,880 GBP (roughly 5250 GBP today, or $6600 USD). Yale University has one. In 1928 The Beggar's Opera was adapted into the German production The Threepenny Opera, which in turn gave rise to versions of the popular song Mack the Knife by Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bobby Darin. One in a series of several reproductions of antique cards by Margary.

[Honeybee]

Thanks Ato5, most interesting. I wonder whether the $6,600 purchaser was foremost a music buff or a card collector?

[kevork]

I wonder if the one that was sold in 2005 was the same one mentioned in the Yale link that sold in 2023 and belonged to Joseph Dudley Ollis, a prominent collector of many things, including playing cards. He unfortunately passed away in 2012 and his collection continues to be auctioned off to this day, likely by his family.

Or... the one from 2005 is a completely different set in which case, you still pose a very curious question Honeybee.

My piano teaching ex would love a deck like this if I could find her one. This and the Dondorf one with musical notes are astounding. Doesn't seem like there's a fascimile of the latter sadly.

Edit: okay wow, that 2023 auction ended at £10,500

[acetofive]

If I'm remembering correctly, the cards in the Yale library are the ones from the Christie auction. I didn't see the Dominic Winter auction - thanks for catching that. It sure looks like Ollis was the winning Christie's bidder, but possible there was another sale before Ollis got it.

Do you mean a facsimile of the Dondorf cards? Yes, there is. https://www.rubylane.com/item/404269-T0 ... ards?gQT=1 sold as Lo Scarabeo “Strauss” playing cards.

[acetofive]

I looked them up. The KC from the decks in question. It looks like Yale is re-using the photo from the Dominic Auction, probably supplied by Ollis. Ollis mounted his decks the same way. These were made by Carington Bowles, John's son. Bowles printed other decks with music and songs - easily identifiable as they were all made in the same style (the British Museum has some). More of Margary's cards can be seen on his website here.

[felicityk]

My Mom had lots of musical theater albums that I grew up listening to. I always liked The Threepenny Opera a lot, though I daresay it was a bit too mature in theme for me to have discovered so young!

[acetofive]

Java Speelkaarten (Fijnste Omber Speelkaarten), No 17. Variant 5, 1910-1920. First printed in 1874 by Dondorf on behalf of Gumbrich & Strauss in Batavia (now Djakarta), in chromolithography, marking Wilhelm III's 25th anniversary as King of the Netherlands. Kings and Queens are royalty in King Wilhelm's court. The Jacks represent Dutch soldiers. Aces show scenics of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). On the back of the box is the coat of arms of the Netherlands with the signature "JE MAINTIENDRAI," "I will preserve." You can see older versions: jasonx73it, dxpo, WOPC.

[acetofive]

Die Vogel-Welt (The Bird World) Educational Quartet Game, No. 351, printed by Dondorf, c1905 (-1920s?). This version in Danish. 10 groups of 4 related cards. In German WOPC. The scans of the cards below are 2048x so that you can see the detail and color in the chromolithography.
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Spurvefugle (Passerines, perching birds), Rovfugle (Birds of Prey)

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Hjejlefugle (Plovers), Tranefugle (Cranes)

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Gaasefugle (Geese), Hønsefugle (Gallinaceous birds, ground-feeding landfowl)

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Strudsfugle (Ostriches), Storkefugle (Storks)

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Klatrefugle (Climbing birds), Rovfugle (Birds of Prey)

[acetofive]

Russian Historical playing cards, by Nikolay Karazin. Reproduction by Russian Card Society, 2015. First published in 1897 in Saint Petersburg, with a second edition in 1898 (changes made to the JS, the JC, and KH). I scanned the reproductions side by side with some of the originals (you can see all of them on page 1 of this thread). When Joop Muller posted this deck on his website he received a number of comments concerning the historical accuracy of the costumes. WOPC's page about this deck.

[Honeybee]

The original chromolithography has so much depth. If I looked at them for too long I would begin to wonder why I collect modern decks

[acetofive]

Neue Klubkarte ("New Club Cards"), Dondorf. Braun believes these were printed as early as 1923, and ended around 1933. The pattern was an experiment, replacing the "old" club pattern with something Dondorf hoped would become a new standard, but it didn't catch on and not many survive. Usually listed for sale as No422, but there were several: No422 (52+J), No425 (36), No426 (32). Those three were sold in cardboard tucks. The following were sold in paper wrappers (provided I translated that correctly): No432 (52+J), No435 (36), No436 (32). Also, according to some old listings, early jokers appeared without a frame, later with a frame (in some later decks frames and other graphic devices were used to differentiate genuine Dondorf cards from cards printed after the sale of the company but under license with the Dondorf name). Mine is without a joker. More WOPC.

[acetofive]

Images 1-5: Dondorf Baronesse No162 Ac (Braun) 1892-1905, 52+joker. 2.5mm index. This pack sold in Italy.
Image 6: Until 1920 without vertical lines. Vertical lines from 1920.
Image 7: No161 36 card Piquet pack still in its paper wrapper, with German Tax stamp, 1923-1929.

[acetofive]

J. Müller & Cie, "La Suisse Historique," Swiss Cantons souvenir pack, c1920. French suited cards (HCDS, R, D, V). One of several packs designed in the 1920s for Müller by Swiss artist Melchior Annen (1868-1954). Printed by chromolithography.

Packs were made for Whist (52 cards, No33), for Piquet (36 cards, No34), and patience sized (No94). Packs were issued with and without jokers. I'm guessing the smaller index symbols appeared first, then later with 8.5mm values below the suits. You can see them here: http://a.trionfi.eu/WWPCM/decks07/d05181/d05181.htm.

The last image shows the 1920s French suited cards side by side with an English suited reproduction made in the 1960s or 70s (some claim as early as the 40s or 50s). 8.5mm English index values now appear above the suit symbol. The suit symbols also changed in shape and the maker's ID doesn't appear on the JS. WOPC's article about the two decks.

[Honeybee]

That KoD portrait using chromo is magnificent
(if they were producing them nowadays, I think I would lose the swiss flag)

[atzenhofer]

Wonderful deck! It reminds me of Dondorfs Costumes Suisses No. 174. The overall style and scheme have quite a few similarities. So far there is no designer determined for No. 174. I think it won't fit timewise for Annen to also be the designer for No. 174, but maybe he got his inspiration from the Dondorf pattern? Just a wild theory from me.

[acetofive]

It's a shame we may never know their names. I looked through Fournier to find earlier "ribbon" style Canton souvenir cards but didn't see any (as opposed to bisected straight through the middle). Dondorf's #174 first appeared in 1897 (below, and here). Do any other ribbon style Canton cards come to mind?

[atzenhofer]

You're right, I also wish there would be more records of all of them. I don't know of any other cards in this style.

[acetofive]

Dondorf Rokoko-Bild, No158, Variant 1, 1889-1905. From 1889-1905 the cards were issued without index symbols and the aces were decorated as shown here, with flowers in each corner. A joker was added in 1895. Although given the name Rokoko (or Rococo), the figures are drawn in fantasy costumes, not based on any specific historical period. These are slightly smaller in size, but larger than patience cards. When I get a chance I'll post the regular size versions.

[Honeybee]

They look beautiful and I love their clean look (no index symbols) . I think it was a good design decision and many of the other superb cards above them may also have benefited from the omission - especially the smaller cards

[GandalfPC]

I am also a fan of the index-less. Pip cards especially - love that look. Poker wise its a real hassle, so hats off to the indexes - but in the great battle of practicality over style I think they should revisit this style from time to time.

[acetofive]

Dondorf Rokoko Bild, No180, Variant 2, 1897-1905. The scans below compare the smaller No158 version with the larger cards.

[Honeybee]

The larger cards are to die for - the daisy backs, the cream instead of white faces background, the very small indices (although if they had come on here 125yrs ago I think we would have convinced them to just go with Q)

[acetofive]

Aaron Trotter, California Coast, hand drawn on-site sketchbook playing cards. Aaron has a few dozen different packs, drawn during his travels, he sells at craft fairs and on his website.