Playing card and game collection
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection includes American and European playing cards and card games, primarily from the 19th century. Includes one of the oldest dated cards in existence.
Historical Note
The origin of the playing card is difficult to pin down to a specific time or place. Playing cards are known to have existed in China before 1000, and probably spread west through trade routes. Playing cards were found in the Middle East by the 13th century, and in Southern Europe by 1350. Cards moved north from France into England by 1459. Playing cards were initially hand-painted, which contributed to their use among the noble classes of Europe. With the development of the woodblock method of printing, ca. 1380, mass production of cards was possible, and card playing became a widespread leisure activity. As printing processes developed throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, cards were printed in greater detail, in color, and more inexpensively.
Suits found on Islamic cards were cups, coins, swords, and sticks. These were reinvented in various ways by different countries and cultures throughout Europe. The Spanish suits are similar: cups, coins, swords, and clubs. Italians used the same suits, but feature the king seated. The suit signs in common usage today are the French system: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades (hearts, trefoils, squares, and spearheads to the French). Hearts, acorns, bells, and leaves are German suit signs. Swiss suits are acorns, shields, bells, and roses. This collection contains examples of all of these suit variations. Each nationality has developed differing ways of rendering the court cards.
The earliest known playing card with a date written on it is from 1546. This card is part of a deck in this collection. French cards from before the Revolution in 1789 show full-card depictions of Kings, Queens, and Jacks. When the Monarchy fell, kings and queens were no longer popular, and the figures were de-crowned and became representative of democratic ideas like liberty and equality. The monarchs were re-installed on cards at the time of Napoleon's reign. There are many examples of pre-Revolutionary French cards in this collection.
The nineteenth century was a time for much standardization, and at the same time, experimentation on the part of card manufactures. American card manufacturing began in the early 1800s; previously, decks had been imported from England and taxed. Transformation cards, where the suit signs are incorporated into comic or sentimental pictures, began to be printed at the beginning of the 19th century. Corner indices, or the practice of putting the suit sign and number in the corner of the card, took off in the second half of the nineteenth century. After 1860, most cards began to be standardized with numbers. The Joker card first appeared in American decks of euchre around 1865. Most playing cards had plain backs until the 19th century, when designs were added. Advertising material began to appear on card backs in late 19th century, first in Belgium. Souvenir packs with different photographic views on each card were introduced in the 1890s.
"Standard" decks are considered to be those able to be used by the average card player. This most often results in 52 cards (13 each of 4 suits) and 2 joker cards. "Non-standard" decks are often used to play specific games. Bezique, a game in the collection, has 64 cards. Other non-standard cards are used for educational purposes and for games of memory and chance. Transformation cards are also considered non-standard.
Cards have often been used for fortune telling. Many are identified as "Le Normand Style" after a deck named for Napoleon's personal fortune teller. These cards contain a small image of a playing card in the upper center of each card, with a number above. The remainder of the card has a fortune image. Tarot was a game invented in Italy, although tarot cards are today used for fortune telling. Political messages are often found on card decks. In many cases, both in Europe and America, political card decks were issued close on the heels of the depicted event.
Games played with playing cards make up a significant part of this collection. The small size and portability of playing cards made them useful to game designers. Often a small folding board would be included with the deck of game cards. Dissected puzzles, or metamorphosis games, were popular. In these games, different cards are components of a whole picture (heads, torso, and legs, for example) and were to be interchanged or else matched to their corresponding parts. The rebus, or picture puzzle, was another popular game printed on playing cards. These cards would show a picture, and sometimes a written clue, and the game was to guess the answer. Rebus cards have been produced since 1789.
Playing card wrappers are also notable ephemera because cards were one of the early products sold in packaging. Decks of cards were thus one of the first pre-packaged manufactured items. Early cards decks were packaged in paper wrappers held together with a piece of thread. Cardboard slipcases were in use by 1800, boxes with push on lids by 1828, and telescope and tuck-flap boxes were introduced in the late 19th century. Cellophane wrappers were common by 1937. Original containers have been retained with the card decks in this collection, and are sometimes boxed separately.
Arrangement
The Playing Card Collection is organized in five series based on country of origin:
Series I. American Playing Cards (1824-1983)
Series II. British Playing Cards ([1675-1887])
Series III. German and Austrian Playing Cards (1549-1884)
Series IV. French Playing Cards ([1668-1901])
Series V. Other Playing Cards (1699-2000)
Scope and Contents
The Playing Card and Game Collection spans the period from 1546 to the present, and contains over 200 decks of playing and educational cards, as well as playing card-based board games and other game materials. The collection is divided into five series: American Playing Cards; British Playing Cards; German and Austrian Playing Cards; French Playing Cards; and Other Playing Cards. Decks are organized by date within these series.
Printing formats represented in the collection include: woodcut, engraving, lithography, chromolithography, and photomechanical printing. The cards in this collection represent several types of decks: standard, political, educational, transformation (in which the suit marks are incorporated into an unrelated design) and translucent (which reveal hidden scenes when held to the light.) Fortune-telling and tarot cards appear in the collection, as do metamorphosis cards and games.
The cards cover a wide range of American and European styles. 149 card decks are of European origin and 60 are American. Many European cards are multilingual. Eleven board games meant to be used with playing cards are included in the collection. A device for keeping score and counting the number of games played is also in the collection.
In 1983, game designer and collector David Greenwald (now Galt) was hired by the New-York Historical Society to catalog the Society's collection of cards and card games. Much of the information about each deck comes from his work, which resulted in individual catalog sheets for each card deck and an exhibition at the Society. When the collection was processed and re-housed in 2000, the cards were organized into series based on country of origin, and numbered by date within each series. Mr. Galt's meticulous research as to the suit signs and numbers of cards of each deck can be viewed in the collection database.
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
People
Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as Playing Card and Game Collection, PR 115, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The majority of the collection was acquired in 1937 as part of the Elie Nadelman Folk Art Collection. However, no clear records exist as to which decks were part of that accession. The collection also contains materials from other donors and from purchases.
Bibliography
- Galt, David. "The Romance of American Playing Cards," New England Antiques Journal,Vol. XVII, No. 8, February 1999.
- Greenwald, David. "In One Era and Out the Other," Games,Jan/Feb 1981, p. 14.
About this Guide
Edition of this Guide
Repository
Series I. American Playing Cards (1824- )
Scope and Contents note
Series I spans the period from 1824 onward. The decks were originally organized by date, with undated decks first, and alphabetically within each year. Decks range from standard and souvenir to those depicting historical figures, or issued for charades. Those added after the collections arrangement in 2002 have been given consecutive numbers.
Notable cards include the rare "M.V. Card," or the Murphy Varnish transformation and promotional pack from 1883. The "Union Playing Cards" from 1862 are also rare and are notable for the patriotic suit signs: eagles, stars, shields and flags. Kings and Jacks in this deck are representations of Union colonels and Queens are depicted as Liberty. The "Norwood 85" pack is also rare, although it was published by the U.S. Playing Card Co, a commercial card publisher. The pack was issued in 1900 in honor of the new millenium and U.S. Playing Card Co.'s new factory in Norwood, Ohio. Shortly after issue, the entire printing was withdrawn, probably due to the potentially risque back design of Cupid and Psyche in embrace. Few other known copies of this deck exist. The "Game of Poke" is a deck of cards hand drawn in an American mining camp.
Other cards in this series include charade cards and political cards. "PIT-Bull and Bear Edition" is a commodities exchange game in which different commodities appear on each card. "Votes for Women" was issued by the National Woman Suffrage Publishing Co., Inc. of New York in 1919. The four Spanish American War decks (billed as a "Game of factual questions") are part of a larger "Starry Flag Series." A "Mexican American War" deck includes generals of that war shown as Kings. "Columbian Exposition" cards each show an exposition building. This series also includes game counters for keeping track of card games and "Salesman's samples" from The New York Consolidated Card Co. in New York; one each of many kinds of cards for sale.
Creators of decks in this series include W. and S.B. Ives of Salem, Mass.; the United States Playing Card Company; McLoughlin Bros.; Anson D.F. Randolph of New York; Chas. E.Carryl for Tiffany & Co.; A. Dougherty for Murphy & Co. Varnish Makers; and Parker Brothers, Inc. of Salem, Mass.
Faro Cards, undated
[Game Counters], undated
Grandmama's Geographical Game, undated
[Roodles Card], undated
Lafayette, 1824, inclusive
The Improved and Illustrated Game of Dr. Busby, 1843, inclusive
The Improved and Illustrated Game of Dr. Busby, [1843], inclusive
The Game of Kings, [1844], inclusive
Master Rodbury and his Pupils, [1844], inclusive
The Game of Kings, 1845, inclusive
the New-World, a Game of American History, by a Yankee, [1845], inclusive
The Errand Boy -- or -- Jack at all Trades, 1846, inclusive
Guessing Game, [1846], inclusive
[Poke Cards from an American Mining Camp], [1846], inclusive
[Mexican-American War], [1849], inclusive
[Thomas Crehore], [1850], inclusive
American Chronological Cards, or Uncle Thomas' Game for the Young Patriots of America, 1850, inclusive
Calkin's Games at Words, with Letter Cards, 1859, inclusive
Game of the Rebellion, 1861, inclusive
Union Playing Cards, [1862], inclusive
The Game of Bezique Complete (with separately boxed container), [1865], inclusive
[L.I. Cohen], [1865], inclusive
[Samuel Hart & Co.], [1865], inclusive
[Rebus riddles], [1870], inclusive
[American Manufacture], [1871], inclusive
[Mauger], [1873], inclusive
World Making and Taking; Wie die Arbeit so der Lohn, 1877, inclusive
Harlequin Playing Cards (with separately boxed container), 1879, inclusive
Gaigel Playing Cards for Export NO. 3, 1881, inclusive
The M.V. Card, 1883, inclusive
Hard-a-Port, [1890], inclusive
Hard-a-Port, [1891], inclusive
Columbian Exposition, 1893, inclusive
Game of Familiar Quotations from Popular Authors, [1893], inclusive
Monarch [bicycle], [1895], inclusive
The Stage Playing Cards #65X, [1896], inclusive
In Dixie-Land, 1897, inclusive
Southern California Edition Souvenir Playing Cards, [1898], inclusive
Lee at Havana, 1899, inclusive
Schley at Santiago Bay, 1899, inclusive
Schafter at Santiago, 1899, inclusive
War or American Soldiery and Battles, 1899, inclusive
Dewey at Manila, [1899], inclusive
Game of Phillipines. Facts, Faces, and Figures, 1900, inclusive
Game of American Battles, [1900], inclusive
Norwood 85, [1900], inclusive
No. 48 Pinochle Playing Cards, [1900], inclusive
Sample, [1900], inclusive
PIT -- Bull and Bear Edition, 1904, inclusive
Souvenir Playing Cards of New York City, [1911], inclusive
Movie Souvenir Playing Cards, 1916, inclusive
Votes for Women, 1916, inclusive
Ye Witches Fortune Cards No. 62X, 1917, inclusive
No. 47 Circus Playing Cards, 1919, inclusive
Americards -- America's Newest Game for Adults, Youths and Juniors, [1941], inclusive
[Happy New Year, Merry Xmas], 1947, inclusive
The Best of Country Music, [1978], inclusive
The Best of Country Music, 1982, inclusive
Iran-Contra Scandal Playing Cards, 1988
Presidential Playing Cards - Hillary, 2007, inclusive
Presidential Playing Cards - Rudy, 2007, inclusive
Respect Iraqui and Afghan Culture Cards (issued for U.S. Military Personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan), 2007
Respect Iraqui and Afghan Culture Cards, 2007
Presidential Playing Cards - McCain and Palin, 2007
Presidential Playing Card - Obama, 2007
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) Cards, 2008
Tiffany & Co. Playing Cards, [1960]
Kem Playing Cards, [1960]
Delta Airlines Playing Cards, 1979
National Airlines Playing Cards, [1970]
TWA (Trans World Airlines) Playing Cards, [1965]
Space Dominoes, 2000
Space Dominoes, 2014
Obaminoes, 2011
Instructions for Obaminoes
Southern Pacific Railway Playing Cards (partial deck), n.d.
Pioneers of Photography Playing Cards, 2016
Series II. British Playing Cards
Scope and Contents note
Series II. dates from 1675 to 1887. The series includes 24 card games, of which many are geographical and educational card decks.
"The Pretended Popish Plot" deck was issued in 1679 to rebut the fears of British citizens that a Catholic conspiracy was attempting to unseat Charles II. "Counties of England and Wales" is a very rare deck, few other complete packs are known. "Game of General Knowledge" includes 5 small decks with different genres of factual questions on each.
This series also contains "Click tablets," wooden boards with printed cards pasted on to the board's face. The board tablets are attached with ribbon and can move in a variety of ways.
Cards are ordered by date and thereunder alphabetically by name or subject. Cards with known dates always come before those with circa dates.
[Click Tablets], undated
The Cries of London, undated
General note
See: Box 15
[Domino-style Geographic "Playing Cards"], undated
Counties of England and Wales, [1675], inclusive
The Pretended "Popish Plot" of 1678, 1679, inclusive
Wallis's New Geographical Game Exhibiting a Tour Through Europe, 1794, inclusive
The Game of Pastora or the Shephardess of the Pyrenees, 1796, inclusive
General note
See: Box 15
The Geography of England and Wales, 1799, inclusive
Walker's tour through England and Wales. A New Pastime, 1809, inclusive
Geographical Game of the World (container only), [1810], inclusive
The Welcome Intruder into the Social Circle (with separately boxed container), [1815], inclusive
Metastasio (Metastasis), [1816], inclusive
History Made Easy; or, A Geneological Chart of the Kings and Queens of England, 1817, inclusive
[Roman History], [1825], inclusive
Wallis's New Geographical Game Exhibiting a Tour Through England & Wales, [1825], inclusive
Royal Playing Cards, 1827, inclusive
Court Game of Astronomy, [1827], inclusive
New Geographical Cards, 1828, inclusive
Court Game of Astronomy, [1828], inclusive
Historical Pastime: A New Game of the History of England from William 1st to William 4th, 1831, inclusive
Historical Amusement [with separately boxed rule booklet], [1840], inclusive
Snap Bumble (Oliver Twist Series): A Favorite & Popular Round Game, [1863], inclusive
[Goodall & Son's Purple Pack], [1865], inclusive
The Game of General Knowledge, 1887, inclusive
Series III. German and Austrian Playing Cards
Scope and Contents note
Series III. contains 62 decks, with date ranges from 1566 to 1890, and 2004. This series holds many notable decks, as well as the oldest dated playing card. "Stukeley's" cards, after those in the British Museum" contains 13 cards out of an original deck of 48 or 52. Some of the cards, dated 1546 on the 9 of hearts, have worm holes. This may be the earliest surviving date on cut cards (A date of 1544 appears on an uncut sheet of cards). The accompanying wrapper tells of the 1797 discovery in a country barn of the cards "contemporaneous with Martin Luther." These cards closely resemble cards in the British Museum, which are known as "Stukeley's Cards" after their discoverer.
"Biedermeier" and "[Translucent Deck]" reveal erotic scenes when held to the light. "Jeanne d'Arc," from 1805, is the oldest of all published transformation card packs. The images are derived from Schiller's play "Joan of Arc."
"Metamorphosen der Neuzeit fur Knaben" (Modern Transformations for Boys) includes interchangeable heads and bodies. The resulting people can stand up like paper dolls. "Frag und Antwort Karten-speil" (Question and Answer Card Game) is another metamorphosis game which doubles as a conversation game: the top section contains a question and the bottom sections contain interchangeable answers. "Musicalisches Kartenspiel besichend in Kuhreihen" (Musical card-game consisting of round-singing) shows lines of Thuringian folk-songs on each card, one song per suit. "Spielkarten vom Jahre 1848" depicts the events of the 1848 Austrian revolution.
"Das Delphische-Orakel" (The Oracle of Delphi) offers at least six different kinds of games which could be played with just one deck. A fortune telling game, sentence-formation game, dice game, lottery game, word-formation game, and checkers-type game can all be played with these cards, which feature multiple scenes and numbers on each face.
Cards in this series were manufactured in Vienna, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Göbl, Tübingen, Linz, Augsburg, Nuremberg, Berlin, Munuch, Neub, and Darmstadt, Germany. See the database for more detailed information on creators and publishers. Cards are ordered by date and thereunder alphabetically by name or subject. Cards with known dates always come before those with circa dates.
Das Delphische-Orackel oder neueste Zauber-Karten, undated
Dolls House Deck, undated
[Fortune Telling Querant], undated
[Mini-metamorphosis], undated
Praeziosa's Orakelsprache Zweite Lieferung, undated
Wahrsagekarten, undated
[Wust], undated
["Stukeley's" cards, after those in the British Museum], 1546, inclusive
General note
See: Box 16
Bauern Hochzeit, 1780, inclusive
[Matchbox of Metamorphosis], [1800], inclusive
Jeanne d'Arc, 1805, inclusive
"Wallenstein", 1807, inclusive
[Multi-themed court pack], 1810, inclusive
Karten Almanack, 1815, inclusive
[Eurich's Tarock], 1817, inclusive
[Tarock (pre-Cego?)], [1820], inclusive
Naturgemählde, [1825], inclusive
General note
See: Box 15
Plastische Naturgeschichte des Thierreiches, [1825], inclusive
Wer's Kleine nicht ehrt JST's grosserre nicht werth, oder Wenn's nicht regnet so tropfelt, [1825], inclusive
Das Brautpaar mit seinem gefolge im Kreuzdomino, [1828], inclusive
Das Uhr - und Stundenspiel; Le Jeu d'horloge et des heures, [1830], inclusive
General note
See: Box 15
Der Maskenball/Le Bal Masque, [1830], inclusive
Der Peruckenkonig, Ein unterhaltendes Gesellschaftssspiel, [1830], inclusive
[Four Continent German Cards] (with separately boxed container), [1830], inclusive
Frag und Antwort Karten Spielen in 24 Komischen/weiblichen Figuren, [1830], inclusive
Jeden Lappen gefallt seine Kappen, [1830], inclusive
General note
See: Box 15
[Street Cries], 1835, inclusive
The Game of Nations or what country do I belong to?, [1835], inclusive
Musicalisches Kartenspiel besichend in Kuh, [1840], inclusive
Auction neues Wurfelspiel/Encherere amusant jeu aved dès, [1845], inclusive
Fünfzig deutsche Bilder Räthsel, hieroglyphen Calembours und rebus (for instructions, see Box 15), [1845], inclusive
Spielkarten vom Jahre 1848, [1848], inclusive
20 Deutsche Wortespiele, [1850], inclusive
Der Kampf um die Braut; Le Combat pour la Fiancée, [1850], inclusive
General note
See: Box 15
Deutschland's Barometer/The Barometer of Germany (with separately boxed counters), [1850], inclusive
Kleine Tanzer-Metamorphosen; The little metamorphoses of dancers, [1850], inclusive
Metamorphosen der Neuzeit für Knaben; Modern transformations for boys, [1850], inclusive
General note
See: Box 15
Pariser Metamorphosen. Frauenköpfe; Paris Metamorphoses. Female head, [1850], inclusive
Robert Blum, [1851], inclusive
Robert Blum (with separately boxed container), [1851], inclusive
[Mini Pink Pack], [1852], inclusive
Die Hochzeit auf dem Lande/La Noce De Village, [1855], inclusive
Der Christmarkt -- ein neues frag und antwortspiel für angenehmen und nützlichen Unterhaltung No. 69, [1858], inclusive
Biedermeier (with separately boxed container), [1860], inclusive
Bilder Zaubereien fur Jung und Alt, [1860], inclusive
Das Orakel oder des Errathen fremder Gedanken/L'oracle ou l'art de deviner les pensèes desautres No. 81, [1860], inclusive
[Fetscher deck - opened, blue], [1860], inclusive
[Fetscher deck - sealed, red], [1860], inclusive
[Fetscher deck - sealed, blue], [1860], inclusive
[Translucent Deck] (with separately boxed container), [1860], inclusive
Franz Josef, 1863, inclusive
FrankfurtschUtzenkarten, 1864, inclusive
Franz Josef, [1865], inclusive
Ausschlagspiel zur Unterhaltung in 52 Blatter und in 4 sprachen, [1870], inclusive
[Fromman & Bunte's Transformation Deck] [square corners], [1870], inclusive
[Fromman & Bunte's Transformation Deck] [round corners], [1870], inclusive
Schweizer Karter, [1884], inclusive
Scherzhastes Frag und Antwort Spiel mit 25 blättern/Jeu Amusant de Questions et de Responses an 25 Feuilles, [1890], inclusive
JFK Playing Cards featuring President Kennedy and family, 2004
Scope and Contents Note
manufactured in the EU for Piatnik, Vienna.
Series IV. French Playing Cards
Scope and Contents note
Series IV. spans the years from 1668 to 1901 and contains 41 card decks and games. Cards are ordered by date and thereunder alphabetically by name or subject. Cards with known dates always come before those with circa dates.
The multiple packs of "French pre-Revolutionary cards" often had a secondary usage. For example, "French pre-Revolutionary cards #2a" has the lingerie accounts of a Mme. Marugal on the verso. Other cards have been used to clip other pieces of paper together or to help children learn the alphabet.
"Les Jeu des Fables" are three slotted books for metamorphosis-style game. Cards fit into each slot and can combine to make humorous combinations. "[Opaque Translucent cards]" show erotic scenes, but the hidden images are not as easy to discern as in the German and Spanish decks.
"[Multi-themed court cards]" is a very unusual deck. Each suit carries a different thematic motif. The hearts portray love, the spades military life, the clubs flowers, and the diamonds construction or labor. The ace of diamonds features nude men, figures usually scarce in card deck designs.
[Character game with dice], undated
[French pre-revolutionary cards #1-#6], undated
[French pre-revolutionary cards #7] (with separately boxed container), undated
[French pre-revolutionary cards #8-#12], undated
[French teaching cards], undated
[Le Normand style fortune-telling deck], undated
[Lequart's Tarot], undated
[Tarot cards], undated
Jeu de Blason, [1668], inclusive
[Seventeenth century French courts], [1680], inclusive
[Italian/Spanish/French Tarot], 1762, inclusive
Poule de Henri IV, [1792], inclusive
General note
See: Box 15
[Sybille des salons (?)], [1800], inclusive
Grand Jeu Des Fables Choises avec Figures Coloriès, [1805], inclusive
Huiteme Jeu de Cartes Historiques, [1809], inclusive
Tableaux de la Gèographie Dè diè a la Jeunèsse, [1810], inclusive
[Uncut-Metamorphosis-1], [1820], inclusive
[Uncut-Metamorphosis-2], [1820], inclusive
Le Jeu des Fables (series A), [1820], inclusive
Le Jeu des Fables (series C), [1820], inclusive
Le Jeu des Fables (series D), [1820], inclusive
Paiements au Boston de Fontainbleau; Règle du jeu de Boston, [1820], inclusive
[Street cries or Cries of Paris], [1830], inclusive
[Hand-drawn transformation], [1840], inclusive
[Opaque Translucent cards], [1840], inclusive
[Theater of Napoleon], [1845], inclusive
Casse Tete D'architecture, [1850], inclusive
[Black-and-tan fortune-telling deck], [1890], inclusive
[Mini LeNormand style fortune-telling deck], [1890], inclusive
Le Jeu des Repertoires, [1901], inclusive
Series V. Other Playing Cards
Scope and Contents note
Series V. dates from 1699 to 2000. This series contains 24 card decks from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. It also includes a "millenium deck" printed by the International Playing Card Society and given to the New-York Historical Society when the organization met in New York City in 2000.
"[Spanish translucent cards]" is the only known pack of erotic cards to have been made with Spanish suit signs, although this deck is not the sole copy.
Cards in this series were published in: Prague, Czechoslovakia; Pest, Hungary; Urbino, Milan, and Trevizo, Italy; Madrid, Barcelona, and Igualda, Spain; and Neuchatel, Switzerland. See the database for more information on the decks' creation.
Cards are ordered by country of origin and thereunder by date and then alphabetically by name or subject. Cards with known dates always come before those with circa dates.
Belgian Cards
[Mogul Cards], undated
[Mini Belgian deck], [1875], inclusive
Czechoslovakian Cards
Zauberschleier, Wastl und Welt - umsegler, 1843, inclusive
Dutch Cards
Tiresias voorzeggende Kaarten Almanack, undated
Loterijspel, [1815], inclusive
A.B.C. En Geschenk voor Lieve Kindere, [1855], inclusive
Hong Kong Cards
[Mini Hong Kong deck], [1973], inclusive
Hungarian Cards
[Tarocchini from Pest], undated
Italian Cards
[Albani], [1699], inclusive
[Eighteenth century deck from Naples], [1750], inclusive
[Gumppenberg's Tarot], [1838], inclusive
[Preziozo], [1866], inclusive
Spanish Cards
[Rf. Fa. DEMd. Ano OE 1801], 1801, inclusive
[Anton Lombart, Barcelona], 1825, inclusive
[Spanish translucent cards], 1877, inclusive
[Girbau y Audinis, Igualda], [1885], inclusive
Swiss Cards
[Tarot from Bern], undated
[C.F. Dreyspring Tarrocchini], 1801, inclusive
[Rochias Tarocchini], 1816, inclusive
[Game of marriages], [1840], inclusive
The lottery of traders, [1840], inclusive
[Schaffhouse Tarot], [1860], inclusive
Other Cards
[IPCS Millenium Deck], 2000, inclusive
Oversized Cards
From Series II. British Playing Cards
The Cries of London, undated
The Game of Pastora or the Shephardess of the Pyrenees, 1796, inclusive
From Series III. German and Austrian Playing Cards
["Stukeley's" cards, after those in the British Museum], 1546, inclusive
General note
See: Box 16