EPHEMERA CORNER

One of the things that has a definite attraction to playing card collectors is the beauty of the images of the cards.  There are those who collect the card backs which have been created for well over 150 years by many well - known artists, some whom we all recognize.  Many of the wide named cards, which were the late 1900’s and early 20^th century wide playing cards such as the USPC Congress cards, have also got signed artist’s names on the bottom of the image. 

  However the card images which are most recognizable throughout the world are the court cards – the familiar French styled Kings, Queens and Jacks.  To appreciate the popularity of these images one only has to see the diversity of items which have been published for years with a playing card motif.  There is fabric used for pillows, upholstery, sheets, towels, all sorts of clothing and even carpets.  There are tin containers, bottles, lamps, jewelry, china and glassware etc. - you name it and it has no doubt been depicted with a card illustration.

It seemed natural for Tom and me to be drawn to the playing card paper items we have been collecting for almost as long as we have collected the playing cards themselves.  Probably the first item we bought was a postcard with a small queen of diamonds in the corner like a triplicate playing card. Once we discovered this wonderful item it wasn’t long before we realized that there was a whole collecting field that we had not known existed.  Now we have postcards, stamps, advertising items, tallies, letterheads and other things all packed into albums where we can see them whenever we want to.

As a result our collection has grown enormously and possibly our love for ephemera has superceded our love of the playing cards themselves.

It seems entirely appropriate to do this ephemera column on Christmas greeting cards.  Because the card images are so enduring it is very possible to start a very attractive collection of new playing card   ephemera, which would not be at all costly. A great place to start is with Christmas cards. I can tell you that there are many being published today as without any effort we seemed to have accumulated a lot of them.

I am featuring a few different ones starting with the postcard featured on page one in the Queen’s Column bringing Good Luck (in your hunt) to you all.

The delightful greeting card above, with its fan of a hand, is typical of the late 1900’s.

I love this one with “Pat” and “Bill” penciled above the card players. It is from that same time frame.

MERRY CHRISMAS GREETINGS

CIRCA 1885

CIRCA 1885

1997 USPC

CIRCA 1920

ELAINE LEWIS

HELEN CLEANTHE