Brussels Euro Joker Club 1988-2011

[kevork]

The Brussels Euro Joker Club was founded in 1988 but sadly had its last meeting in November of 2011. Over the span of its existence, a total of four decks were released, one every five years. Each deck had a print run of 400.
More information on the club here.

Some elements you will see on the cards have to do with Brussels itself. The card backs for 1993, 1998, and 2003 all showcase the Atomium, which I had the pleasure of visiting in 2019; seen here:


The young boy peeing is in reference to Manneken Pis, a bronze fountain sculpture in central Brussels.

5th Anniversary (1993)

The deck is numbered and signed by the artist, whose name has been reported as “Le Meunier” and “Freddy Lemeunier.” Whichever name is correct, the artwork is completely delightful. It is my understanding that the deck depicts carnivals at various venues in Belgium. The deck is reviewed in “The Playing Card” at Vol. XXV, No. 4, and the review concludes: “Get one if you can!” I share the reviewer’s enthusiasm.

The deck of 55 cards includes 18 colored illustrations on the theme of Carnivals in Belgium. The designer Mr. Freddy Lemeunier has undertaken thorough research in this respect.

10th Anniversary (1998)

Brussels Euro Joker Club's exciting 10th Anniversary deck, with artwork by Yvette Cleuter, was produced in a limited, signed and numbered edition of 400 copies. The beautiful and intricate artwork was done in pencil and includes animals with human characteristics, sometimes endearing.

On the theme of the “Animal kingdom” the artist Yvette Cleuter has carried out very imaginative pictures, using the pen-and-ink drawing technique (red and black tints).

15th Anniversary (2003)

The deck designed by Mr Michel Willems shows caricatural drawings of various craftsmen and craftswomen. A real touch of humor characterizes his work.

20th Anniversary (2008)







WOPC article on the 10th anniversary deck (1998):
https://www.wopc.co.uk/belgium/brussels-euro-joker-club

Further source from the club website (now defunct) using waybackmachine:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050408154 ... dex_en.php

Previous threads can be found here:
1998: viewtopic.php?p=41220#p41220
decibelhz collection (1998): viewtopic.php?p=88003#p88003
decibelhz collection (2008): viewtopic.php?p=89085#p89085

[hsbc]

Very cool post, thanks

[bkcuprill]

Thanks for posting this! Really love the 10th & 20th anniversary decks... I'm guessing these are pretty much impossible to find though.

[kevork]

Thanks for posting this! Really love the 10th & 20th anniversary decks... I'm guessing these are pretty much impossible to find though.

If I conceded to impossible, there would be many decks I would not have in my collection today.

It can definitely be challenging, but they can pop up from time to time.

Speaking of, a 15th anniversary deck is available here for anyone interested: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324933927847

EDIT: Congratulations to whoever bought this deck less than an hour after I posted it

[bkcuprill]

So true about "impossible" - And having seen a bit of your tremendous collection here, it's an encouraging sentiment to someone pretty new to collecting. Thanks!

[PaulF]

How cool.... You're always coming up with some gems.

[kevork]

Thankfully, the club website (http://www.brusselsjokerclub.be/index_en.php) was archived back in 2005 on Wayback Machine and I was able to obtain some of the club's history:

Brussels-Euro-Joker-Club’s history
Side lights on history: André, Benoît, Daniel, Georges and Luc, five playing card collectors meet by chance at various exchange meetings.

Soon thereafter Daniel, Georges and Luc consider setting up a playing card collectors club in Brussels. Yes, but they need a hall to house the meetings, a President liable for the organization and subsequently other needs will follow suit. I know of an appropriate place says Daniel, let’s go and see and perhaps…

June 1988: Foundation of the B.E.J.C., planning of 4 meetings each year and edition of a quarterly newsletter. Daniel is elected President and he fulfills this function since then...



Some highlights of B.E.J.C. history:

1992-1993: Brussels. Elaboration by artist Feddy Meunier of an original deck based on Carnival festivals in Belgium. The deck, issued on occasion of the 5th Anniversary of B.E.J.C., was produced in a limited edition of 400 numbered packs.

1994: Wezenbeek-Oppem (Belgium). Exhibition of playing cards.

1995: Brussels. Exhibition of playing cards (August 21st to September 2nd) in the commercial complex City 2; two days were devoted to exchange encounters.
London. Several members attend the I.P.C.S. Convention.

1996: Altenburg (Germany). We travel to Altenburg and we attend the “Skat” festival (May 3rd to 5th) (Skat is a well-known card game in Germany).
Wavre (Belgium). Exhibition of playing cards in “l’Ermitage” castle from October 4th to 20th.

1997: Epinal (France). Journey arranged by the “Playing card museum of Turnhout” on October 25th and 26th. Visit of the printing works.
Issy-les-Moulinaux (Paris). Presence for the inauguration of the French museum of playing cards.

1998: Brussels. In March, setting up of an international meeting. Elaboration by artist Yvette Cleuter of an original deck depicting some representatives of the animals kingdom. The deck issued, on occasion of the 10th Anniversary of B.E.J.C., was produced in a limited edition of 400 numbered packs; some designs were published also as postcards (50 sets only).
Oostende (Belgium). Show-case of B.E.J.C. at “Wellington” hippodrome.
Issy-les-Moulineaux (Paris). Attendance at the convention.

1999: Altenburg. Organization with the Turnhout’s museum of playing cards of a journey (May 1st to 4th) to Altenburg, for the celebration of “100 years of Skat” festival.
Turnhout. Joint autorship in the international meeting.
(In September B.E.J.C. becomes a non-profit association).

2000: Redu (Belgium) Exhibition (August 26th to September 3rd) at the “books village”.
Turnhout. Collaborations with the Turnhout’s museum are going on.
New Haven (U.S.A. Attendance at the convention.
Aiseau Presles (Belgium). Partnership in an exhibition about unusual collections.

2001: Zaventem (Brussels Airport). Exhibition of playing cards sponsored by B.I.A.C.
Vitoria (Spain). Attendance at the I.P.C.S. convention.

2002: Edition of a book about the Brussels’ cardmaker Wijnants, written by Mr Pède, a member of B.E.J.C..
Aiseau Presles. Partnership in an exhibition about unusual collections.

2003: Brussels. Elaboration by artist Michel Willems of an original deck, caricaturating various craftsmen and craftswomen. The deck, issued on occasion of the 15th anniversary of B.E.J.C., has been produced in a limited edition of 400 numbered packs.
Braine l’Alleud (Belgium). Exhibition (February 2nd to March 23rd) of playing cards relating to “Carnivals, Masks and Music”.
Evere (Belgium). In “Quartier Reine Elisabeth”, from October 1st to November 15th, exhibition of playing cards showing “Military forces”.
Charleroi (Belgium): “World in games” exhibition on September 4th (ULB).
“Animalist objects” exhibition on October 4th.

2004: On March 21st, our 1st trading fair in Beervelde (Near Ghent)

On May 30th, opening of a wonderful playing card exhibit "Hand in Hand from our member Alex Clays. The exhibit closed on September 28th.

On December 11th, opening of the Daveluy exhibit at the Nationaal Museum van de Speelkaart in Turnhout and presentation of our book "Daveluy, Bruges Pride & a Royal Trump".

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20050408154 ... dex_en.php

In addition, I was able to find this article:

VERY BEAUTIFUL EXHIBITION OF PLAYING CARDS IN WAVRE OF KINGS AND QUEENS AT THE CHATEAU DE L'ERMITAGE

By Christian Sonon
Published on 5/10/1996 at 00:00 Reading time: 3 min

Very beautiful exhibition of playing cards in Wavre

Kings and queens at the Hermitage Castle

Why do we collect playing cards? Because it is a very rich popular imagery. Maps are a reflection of history, of industrial evolution, of all forms of ideology. Above all, they are very beautiful. And as they are larger than stamps, they are easier to handle, to admire...

Daniel Slachmuylders is the president of the Brussels Euro Joker Club, one of two clubs in Belgium - the other is in Hasselt - bringing together card collectors. Created in 1988, it brings together 120 members scattered across the country and beyond. If the main activity is the organization, four times a year, of an exchange exchange, its members sometimes lend their collections for an exhibition. Thus, from October 5 to 20, responding to the invitation of the Wavre Tourist Office, they will exhibit their kings, queens and servants in the salons of the Hermitage Castle (1).

- Some collect whole or reduced games at court, explains the president. There are collectors of jokers and those who are only interested in the aces of spades, on which the card makers print their trademark. And also card back lovers who are classified by theme (animals, boats, tobacco, beers, etc.).

During the first half of the century, many industries used cards to promote their image. Philips was no exception, who wanted to mark the advent of electricity by publishing an art deco-style card game. Before the age of television, it was card games that held the attention of families for entire evenings. They were therefore the advertising vehicle par excellence...

Then come the cartoonish games aimed at collectors. The visitor will be able to admire those dating from the aftermath of the Great War where the figurines represent officers surrounded by a stream of sentences (“Death the beast, death the venom”...). Or that of 1945 in which the kings have the heads of Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt and de Gaulle, while Hitler, a ridiculous buffoon, is the joker.
Pearls of the exhibition, the cards signed Dondorf, of very high artistic quality. Including this game from 1880, where the four colors represent America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

- This German carter closed its doors in 1933, specifies the president. In Belgium, of the 27 manufacturers who were present at the beginning of the century, only Carta Mundi in Turnhout remains, which delivers worldwide.

Patience games, tarot cards, “Zwarte Piet”, Yellow Dwarves... The cards never stop telling the many facets of this social phenomenon, across countries and customs. In May, our collectors visited Altenburg, a town located near Leipzig, known for its Skat, a game played with 32 cards... and is taught, it seems, in schools, from the age of 6 .

At the Hermitage, the playing card will also be present on ashtrays, bottles, key rings, cufflinks...

The exhibition is a sample of all the forms taken by the playing card. All? No. Pin-up cards are not included. We were advised not to expose them. I think Wavre is a very modest town, right?

CHRISTIAN SONON
(1) Visit every day (except Monday) from 2 to 5 p.m. Also on weekends from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Source: https://www.lesoir.be/art/tres-belle-ex ... 0CPT3.html

[Eric Lee]

Excellent post here. Thanks for sharing more about the club and the decks!

[hsbc]

Thankfully, the club website (http://www.brusselsjokerclub.be/index_en.php) was archived back in 2005 on Wayback Machine

This is why I post here and not Discord or whatever

[kevork]

Thankfully, the club website (http://www.brusselsjokerclub.be/index_en.php) was archived back in 2005 on Wayback Machine

This is why I post here and not Discord or whatever

Right? Nothing compares to the information that a forum can offer. I have learned an invaluable amount of information from perusing the forum posts both old and new.

Joop confirmed that the club did dissolve in 2011 and he had attended events up until that point. They did change venues at one point but that did not last for more than two years before they moved back to their previous location. He can actually be seen in the background of the photo above (with the long hair!)