UNITED STATES PLAYING CARD COMPANY

No. 65x The Stage playing cards.

Publication Cincinnati, United States Playing Card Company, 1896.

Description

52 chromolithograph playing cards with photo-engraving and one joker card, all edges gilt, with blue, green and gold panels to versos.

Dimensions 89 by 63mm (3.5 by 2.5 inches).

References Van den Bergh p.218; Yale 447/USA256.

The Maker

For a description of the United States Playing Card Company, please see item 117.

The Cards

Depicting famous actors and actresses from the end of the nineteenth century, this deck of card appeals to the new celebrity culture that was beginning to emerge towards the turn of the century. Each Ace and court card shows four photographs of leading stars of the stage, their names identified in the photograph. The joker shows popular actor and comedian Marshall P. Wilder. The influence of the Jugendstil artistic movement (see item 120) is readily apparent in the layout of the cards. The pip cards simply reflect their value in the number of suit marks shown. The cards are entitled ‘No. 65x The Stage playing cards’, with the ‘x’ indicating that the cards have gilt edges.

W. D. & H. O. WILLS [Advertising playing cards].

Publication [Germany, 1898].

Description

52 chromolithograph playing cards, with advertisement to versos.

Dimensions

67 by 35mm (2.75 by 1.5 inches).

References Van den Bergh p.192.