[acetofive] Selected Cards

[GandalfPC]

Yes, this is a very dangerous thread - thought your collection was getting complete? Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

[acetofive]

Malchow in Mecklenburg, skat deck, commemorating the first millennium of the founding of Malchow, Germany. 1995. Tuck signed by the artist.

[acetofive]

The Art Quilt Deck. 54 individual quilt artists contributed. Each was told their card, but not what any of the others were doing. Each is an original quilt 28 inches high by 18 inches wide. These are my favorites in the deck. Cards © 1995 Sue Pierce

[GandalfPC]

That skat deck is purty…

[acetofive]

The Key To The Kingdom, 53 cards based on nursery rhymes, poems, and riddles, designed by artist Tony Meeuwissen, 1992 (republished 2005), along with a book showcasing each verse and its card. The first copies included an additional riddle - an 18 line verse: 14 of the 53 cards are clues to solve for a familiar phrase (well, sort of familiar) - but which ones? Solve it - and include an additional original verse using the words "hearts, diamond, clubs, and spades," - and you could win £5000. The book says all of this took three years to create. The solution, and winning original verse by the winner, can be found on "The Armchair Treasure Hunt Club." (the cards in the pic don't give away the 14 - no spoilers here.)

1 - All cards twice twenty-six in number hold
2 - With cryptic guile the Key to the Kingdoms gold,
3 - Fourteen in this Enigma, if you please,
4 - An insect wedding starts you off with ease,
5 - The ache disturbed, a mans unlawful house,
6 - Next rare Ben's rhyme, five operas by Strauss,
7 - Dark news from 1912, when sudden strife
8 - Brought tragedy, a tannin-shortened life,
9 - A tellingly precious cephalopod,
10 - A vital joke, where zygodactyls plod
11 - Around the German countess, then a fruit
12 - Sharp words described, confectionery's cute
13 - Requests for love, way in of way-out type,
14 - A verse from selfsame pen as Cherry Ripe.
15 - Decode these cards and you will find indeed,
16 - That shuffling is, or should be, all you need.
17 - So English, yet un-English you will find
18 - The answer by appointment of your mind.

[acetofive]

You can see all cards in the deck here - https://www.wopc.co.uk/transformation/k ... he-kingdom

[acetofive]

Jägerkarte (the Hunter deck) No. 465, Dondorf, 1930-1933. Missing the AH. 
Sometime between 1928 and 1930, the Dondorf family started selling off its assets and Flemming and Wiskott took over printing Dondorf playing cards. (For a long time an article circulated around the internet about how the famous 1933 100th Anniversary Deck was so expensive to produce it put an end to the company, this is somewhat misleading - the company was already in the process of breaking up.) Very few new decks appeared following the sale of the company. This was one. Some collectors guess these were prepared prior to the sale due to the high quality of the artwork and plates (the Saks Fifth Ave deck is another one from this period). Hurbertus (the KH) is the patron saint of hunters.

[acetofive]

Karl Gerich, Mayday, No 28. From an edition of about 25. The standing "Joker" is Steve Davis who won the world snooker championship the day Karl completed work on the plates, May 1, 1989. The box is decorated with a portrait of King Henry the VIII and other nice details.

[GandalfPC]

Love that pool player card - and the deck

[acetofive]

Love that pool player card - and the deck

I'm looking forward to seeing the copies you found. All of the decks are highly variable.

[kevork]

I found the print of that deck:

Pretty cool to read that Karl etched the copper plates himself and completed the entire process of creating his cards and boxes from start to finish himself.

[Shade]

Yes, this is a very dangerous thread - thought your collection was getting complete? Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

I concur entirely, I have managed to stay away from classic and antique decks due to cost and not really appreciating most of the artwork used. Acetofive's decks bring a whole new light on the truly gorgeous decks out there, and my wallet is not going to survive a 2nd vector of spending

[GandalfPC]

I’m pretty sure there is a German word for “enjoyment received from putting a vintage deck in front of someone who is then enticed down the rabbit hole” - perhaps another user knows the word…

[Bradius]

This discussion reminds me of the monkey having his hand trapped in a glass bottle because they refuse to release the goodie to get their hand out of the bottle. I guess we are not much better evolved.

[acetofive]

Karl Gerich, No33, Views of Bath. Artwork from 1990 by Georgina Harvey, printed by Karl in 1992 in two editions: A first edition of 6 32 card packs (of which this is one), and later 18 52 card packs, both featuring the same standing Joker. Aces show two views of Bath each.

[GandalfPC]

One of the all time great jokers

[acetofive]

Karl Gerich, No34 "Lettische Patience" (36mmx 55mm), published in 1994. The signature card with my deck says "First Batch, 5 of 6," but 20 is often quoted as (about) the number of decks printed. I thought I had read these had been designed by Georgina Harvey but now I can't find that reference and I might be mistaken about that. This deck is based on a notable deck from 1936 (1940?), discussed here https://www.wopc.co.uk/latvia/duburs and here http://www.dxpo-playingcards.com/xpo/de ... nth-20.htm

[GandalfPC]

I just picked up #4 two weeks ago - I guess now we’re neighbors

It’s heading across the pond next week with a few others

Not finding reference to GH either (yet) but the style certainly seems to be hers.

[acetofive]

Dondorf, No178 "Stuart-Zeit" (Stuart-Time). Fanciful (historically inaccurate) 17th century royal fashion, during the time the Stuarts ruled England, 1603 to 1714. (In 1603 King James VI of Scotland, James Charles Stuart, ascends to the English throne. He executes Sir Walter Raleigh, translates the bible into English, refuses to declare war on Spain and fights with Parliament. Guy Fawkes gets caught trying to assassinate him with a pile of gun powder. Shakespeare writes some plays. King Charles I (James's son) takes over, declares war on Spain, fights with Parliament, and gets himself executed. Oliver Cromwell takes over as Lord Protector. London burns, the plague rages (and introduces "Plague Doctors"), the Whigs and Tories form, some pilgrims sail away and land on a rock in the name of religious freedom, William meets Mary, and Scotland meets England. Finally, when Queen Anne dies without an heir in 1714, George of Hanover (her cousin's son) takes over, ending the Stuart line of rule and all those nice clothes.) Printed in chromolithography, in a variety of sizes and backs, with German and English indices, from 1897 to 1933. The courts shown here printed 1897-1914.

[Honeybee]

Yes, this is a very dangerous thread - thought your collection was getting complete? Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

I concur entirely, I have managed to stay away from classic and antique decks due to cost and not really appreciating most of the artwork used. Acetofive's decks bring a whole new light on the truly gorgeous decks out there, and my wallet is not going to survive a 2nd vector of spending

I would be the opposite. I totally appreciate the artwork as superior IMO but unless I go back to work, I could not do it to my partner. The shipping and insurance would blow my budget esp living at the bottom of the world (with very limited chances of finding anything antique locally)

Thank you so much for sharing Ato5 but I will have to content myself with reproductions like Will Roya's Four Continents and modern classics like Uusi's Classics (and of course viewing others' collections)

[jasonx73it]

I concur entirely, I have managed to stay away from classic and antique decks due to cost and not really appreciating most of the artwork used. Acetofive's decks bring a whole new light on the truly gorgeous decks out there, and my wallet is not going to survive a 2nd vector of spending

I have managed to stay away from classic and antique decks and now I’m screwed.

[GandalfPC]

I think what people don’t realize is that they are already in the hole - and regardless of how far in you are now, antique and vintage lie inevitably below

[acetofive]

Karl Gerich No10, Four Corners, 1984, edition of about 50, based on Dondorf's Four Corners of the Earth. Early versions have stenciled pips, these are etched pips. Some packs included a second set of Aces - uncolored views of Bath, England, where these were produced - this pack didn't have them. (the second photo below - comparing Dondorf and Gerich - is not to scale, Gerich's cards are much smaller.)

[acetofive]

Dondorf No 303, Einköpfige Deutsche Spielkarte (Single-ended German Playing Cards), chromolithography, 1900-1930. German Suits in acorns, bells, hearts, and leaves. A few interesting things to point out about this deck. The deuces feature a bear, a coat of arms, an eagle, and...two people in a garden. A proposal? Begging for forgiveness? Barney Townshend at WOPC describes the court figures as dressed in "16th century bourgeois lifestyle," including some ordinary folks, "a falconer, farm workers, a fool, a minstrel." The numbered cards are scenes of pleasant rural country life - but don't appear to be from the 16th century. Look closely at the nine of belles and you'll see a traveller using what look like binoculars and what kind of umbrella is he carrying? The first lightweight folding umbrella didn't appear until the early 1700's.

[Bradius]

Maybe a commentary on how the aristocracy was stuck in the past? Interesting.

[acetofive]

I just added this book to my collection. It's gorgeously illustrated but entirely in French (so I can't read it). It features 120 cards (1300's - 2012) drawn from the Department of Prints and Photography of the National Library of France.

There's a reference to Grimaud's Cartes Indiennes on pages 210-211. Unfortunately it's only a description of the cards, so there's not much more to add to what little we already know. The most informative sentence is the last one, which reads, "Unsigned [emphasis mine], this game evokes, through its stylized floral decoration, the contemporary creations of George Auriol, Eugene Grasset and Alfons Mucha." For now, the artist is still unknown. The search continues.

[acetofive]

J. Muller, Swiss regional costumes and scenic aces (early tourist souvenir playing cards), this deck 1885. Missing: KC. Printed over many years, several versions exist - the aces and backs change over time, and background landscapes were added behind the court figures. I think the first printing dates to 1880.

[Harvonsgard]

Every time a pleasure to visit this thread.

[acetofive]

Karl Gerich, No 12, 1991 (plates begun in 1985), based on Dondorf's Rhineland pattern, first published by Dondorf in the 1870's. Karl made use of three backs for these cards, the one shown here, a vinyl back, and a beautiful Florentine pattern. The joker is likely a self portrait. About 20 packs were made.

[acetofive]

Whist # 80, printed by Dondorf, chromolithography, for the Danish firm Adolph Wulff of Copenhagen. The courts are dressed in costumes from the Empire Era. Braun dates these "1920 to 1933" with a question mark. They appear in Wulff price lists in 1928 and 1933.