In late 1940, Andre Breton and a number of other Surrealist artists were stranded for five months in Marseille, France. While there, they received assistance from the American Committee for Aid to Intellectuals. Breton led a group of the artists in the creation of a new deck of cards. The deck was inspired by traditional Marseille decks, but was redesigned to reflect the special interests of the Surrealists. Frederic Delanglade redrew the cards designed by the eight original artists, in order to provide a unity of style. The cards were subsequently exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1941.

Ace of Wheels

Six of Stars

A reproduction deck was issued by Andre Dimanche et Fabrique in France in 1983. The deck is of standard Bridge size, and has 52 cards in four suits, plus two Jokers. The suits are Flames (red), Stars (black), Wheels (red), and Locks (black). As with Tarot cards, each suit represents a significant aspect of life.

Locks represent Knowledge. Through the keyhole of the Ace of Locks we see a candle with a flame which may shed light on a vital matter. Wheels symbolize Revolution, and the wheel on the Ace of wheels splashes red blood in all directions as it revolves. The Star suit features a dark and distorted Star representing Dreams. The Flame suit is a stylized flame symbolizing Love, a burning desire.

Genius of Locks

Siren of Flames

The suits have no King nor Queen, nor subordinate Knave. Breton explains that ".... we borrowed some of our ideas from experiments.... brought about by the French revolution...." The surrealists created three new face cards of Genius, Siren, and Magus.

A great deal of thought and creativity went into the selection of the historical figures which are used on these face cards. For example, the philosopher Hegel is the Genius of Locks (the Master of knowledge). His image holds "the Key". Mariana Alcofardo, the Portuguese Nun, is the Siren of Flames (authoress of love letters).

Magus of Stars

Genius of Wheels

Freud is the Magus of Stars (interpreter of dreams). Finally, the Marques de Sade is the Genius of Wheels (social and sexual revolution).

The Swiss medium Helene Smith (nee Catherine Elsie Muller) is the Siren of Locks. Do some of her images come from her prior incarnation in India, or perhaps from her visits to the planet Mars? Novalis is the pseudonym of Baron Friedrich von Hardenberg, a German romantic poet and Christian mystic. He is the Magus of Flames, though he never found "the fulfilled longing of a loving heart" that he so sought after. And Alice, the Siren of Stars, is the Alice of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. In her sweet innocence she beckons us to enter her dream (or is it a nightmare?).

Siren of Locks

Magus of Flames

The face cards not shown here are: Baudelaire (Genius of Flames), Lautreamont (Genius of Stars), Lamiel (Siren of Wheels), Pancho Villa (Magus of Wheels), and Paracelsus (Magus of Locks).

Finally, I show Ubu, the Joker. Ubu was not drawn by one of the Surrealists. He is by Alfred Jarry, and is a character in Jarry's play, Ubu-Roi, presented first as a puppet play in 1888, and later with live actors. The play is considered the origin of the modern "theater of the absurd".

Siren of Stars

Ubu

According to the Encyclopedia Americana, Ubu is "the symbol of the stupidity, greed and cruelty latent in a complacent society". He seems just the right figure to be on the minds of the Surrealists as they sought refuge from Europe at the beginning of World War II.

Editor’s note - Many thanks to Stephen Shain, a new member of 52 + Joker for an interesting and informative article on a scarce and unusual deck - one that we have never seen or heard of. We are always delighted to welcome new members and especially those who help to make our job a little easier!

Stephen would like to thank Mary K Greer, Michelle Jackson, and K. Frank Jensen who helped him track down the deck of cards and his son, Ralph, for setting him on the quest and directing him to many references on the history of the deck

Those interested in the sources of further information can contact Stephen at the address listed in the roster or by Email at sashain@swbell.net.

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Webmaster’s note - While Clear The Decks is a black-and-white publication, we have included color scans of the cards here on the web. Many thanks to Rhonda and Bob Hawes for supplying the scans of this intriguing deck.