First published in 1931, this vintage book explores the history and origins of playing cards from traditional English playing cards to tarot cards and card manufacturers in Britain and Europe. Extensively illustrated and full of interesting information, “Playing Cards” is highly recommended for those with an interest in the history of playing cards and is not to be missed by collectors of vintage literature of this ilk. Contents include: “Card Games”, “Preface”, “Many Theories About the invention of Playing Cards”, “The Tarot Cards”, “Varieties of the European Four-Suit Pack”, “Earliest References to English Playing Cards”, “Genesis of the English Pack”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on card games.

Over 900 elaborate, decorative images from rare playing cards, 14th20th centuries: Bacchus, death, dancing dogs, hunting scenes, royal coats of arms, players cheating, much more. "

Intricate, absorbing study based on research and card collections from around the world tells the story of playing cards and their manufacture, plus provides a fascinating overview of heraldry, geography, history, and the social and political activities of man over the past six centuries. Includes an enormous annotated bibliography of more than 900 items on playing cards and games, and over 1,400 illustrations. Praised by The New York Times as "the most authoritative and complete treatment of its kind."

This volume contains full instructions for playing a vast array of different card games ranging from Poker to Irish Loo, as well as chapters on card tricks, the history of playing cards, 'cartomancy', and more. "Cards and Card Tricks" will appeal to seasoned player and novice alike, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Contents include: "Whist", "Loo", "Irish Loo", "Vingt-Et-Un", "Faro or Pharao", "Tontine", "Lansquenet", "Forty-Five-Maw-Five-Cards", "Twenty-Five", "Blind Hookey-Banker", "Albert Smith", "Poker-Draw", "Newmarket", "Quadrille", "Bostone", etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in a modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on card tricks.

This book describes the playing-cards peculiar to Spain from the earliest fourteenth-century records to the present day. A major contribution this book makes toward the study of cards is the extension and elaboration of the classification system of playing-cards. The fifteen or so "standard" designs of Spanish cards that evolved into the patterns preferred for everyday use are systematically described and illustrated. This will assist collectors and catalogers for identification purposes.