Simon Wintle
- Spain • Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
Paris Pattern
The Paris pattern was established as such around the middle of the seventeenth century (based, perhaps, on the cards of Hector of Troyes).
Piedmont Pattern
The Piedmont pattern is a very close relative to the French 'Paris' pattern. The courts are not named, however, and are divided horizontally (rather than diagonally).
Trevisane pattern
The double-ended version of the ‘Trevisane’ pattern originated in the early 19th century.
French Playing Cards
Some of the oldest cards still in existence come from France. During the 16th and 17th centuries France was the major supplier of playing cards in Europe.
Early Anglo-French Cards
Cards produced in Rouen during the sixteenth century. It was cards like these which were imported to England and are the ancestors of the modern 'Anglo-American' pattern.
Naipes Dural, Venezuela
Naipes "Dural" Clase Opaca made in Venezuela
Bibliography & References
The following works on Playing Card history and design have been consulted in preparing this website.
Naipes Side Car - Genoese type
Naipes Side Car - Genoese type.
Naipes Mónaco, Cía General Fabril Financiera S.A.
Naipes Mónaco playing-cards, Cía General Fabril Financiera S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina, c.1960.
Cigarette Cards and other ephemera
Cigarette Cards, Trade Cards, Miniature Playing Cards and other ephemera.
Mardon, Son & Hall of Bristol, branch of the Imperial Tobacco Company
A division of Imperial Tobacco, they appear to have made cards almost exclusively for the cigarette token market, which flourished during the 1930s.
Naipes Las Rosas by Vigor S.R.L., c.1959
Naipes Las Rosas by Vigor S.R.L., c.1959.
History of Online Casinos
Online casinos appeared shortly after the internet became a more mainstream tool for the public to use.
Minifusor Clásico
Minifusor Clásico, a modern re-drawing of the Catalan pattern published by Difusora, c.1980.
Naipes Minifusor
Difusora S.A is a distributor of smokers' materials. Around 1970-80 they also distributed "Minifusor" playing cards.
L. P. Holmblad - Denmark
Cards from c.1850 by L. P. Holmblad showing fantasy historical Danish Kings and Queens.
Francisco Flores
Playing cards in this style have been discovered in various parts of the world, suggesting that they were exported or carried there by early explorers or merchants.
Estonian Historic Playing Cards
The court cards and indices on Estonian playing cards are Södur, Emand, Kuninga.
Naipes Joketa
“Naipes Joketa” by anonymous manufacturer, c.1975. A slightly elaborated version of conosur pattern.
El Negrito Pedro, c.1950s
El Negrito Pedro, children’s card game, Buenos Aires, Argentina, c.1950s.
History of Poker
The origin of Poker - arguably the most influential card game of all time - is actually quite unclear.
F. Molina Campos
Unofficial Edition of Molina Campos playing cards, anonymous publisher, 2004.
Spanish Cadiz-style pack
Traditional Spanish Cadiz-style pack manufactured by Müller & Cie, Schaffhausen, 1952.
Heraclio Fournier S.A.
Founded in 1868, today it is part of Cartamundi.
River Plate Para Siempre
“River Plate Para Siempre” football club cartoon playing cards, c.2004.
Pinocho
Pinocho children’s playing cards published by Editorial Gráfica Flores c.1975.
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park card game made in Argentina, 2004.
Colombia
Colombian playing cards.
Patoruzito
Patoruzito children’s playing cards, Argentina, 2004.
Uruguayan Playing Cards
Until the 19th century playing cards were imported into Uruguay from Spain.
Tango
‘Tango’ playing cards from Argentina, c.2004.
Naipes ‘Ancla’
Naipes opacos ‘Ancla’ manufactured by Cía General de Fósforos Montevideana S.A. c.1980.
Naipes Victoria - page 2
Naipes Victoria was Cía Fabril Financiera's leading brand of Spanish-suited playing cards.
Taroquis ‘Obelisco’
78-card 'Taroquis Marca Obelisco' published by Mario Colombo, Buenos Aires, during the 1950s, 60s & 70s, in the style known as "Tarocco Piemontese" which had been developed by Italian cardmakers during the nineteenth century.
Humanist pack by J. Müller & Cie
'Humanist' pack made by J. Müller & Cie (Schaffhouse), originally named 'Troubador'. The pack was designed by Melchior Annen (1868-1954) who also designed several other packs for Müller & Cie.
Swiss Playing Cards
The Swiss national suit system of shields, acorns, hawk bells and flowers emerged sometime during the XV century.
Joker S.A.
Playing cards manufactured by Joker S.A.
Punto y Banca
Punto y Banca, c.1974.
Editorial Gráfica Flores, c.1970-90
Editorial Gráfica Flores S.A. were manufacturers of playing cards and card games around c.1970-90.
Standard playing cards manufactured by Joker S.A.
Standard playing cards manufactured by Joker S.A.
T3 Terminator
T3 Terminator playing cards based on the popular movie, 2003.
Matrix Reloaded
Matrix Reloaded playing cards published anonymously, 2003.
German playing cards
Card-playing rapidly became popular in medieval Bavaria and German printers were quick to supply the goods.
Miniature Playing Cards
Miniature Playing Cards from around the world.
Baraja Cuauhtémoc
Baraja Cuauhtémoc published by Treviño Narro, Monterrey, Mexico Original artwork by P. X. Santaella featuring Aztec and other important pre-Columbian cultures.
Naipes La Estrella
Naipes La Estrella Spanish-suited playing cards manufactured by Vigor S.R.L., Buenos Aires, c.1955.
Alvarez Holmberg y Cia,
Alvarez Holmberg y Cia, playing card manufacturer, Buenos Aires, Argentina, c.1950-70
Naipes Cristianos
“Naipes Cristianos” catechetical playing cards with quotations from the four gospels, 2002.
Estudio Negrin PIRELLI, c.1960
Estudio Negrin playing cards for PIRELLI, made by Orestes A. Cappellano S.R.L., Buenos Aires, Argentina, c.1960.
Angus
Naipes "ANGUS" designed by Gustavo A. Pueyrredón, depicting Aberdeen Angus livestock on the courts and jokers dressed as Gauchos.
Ernesto Flaiban, Buenos Aires
Ernesto Flaiban, Buenos Aires, 1942-1970.