Saks-Werbespiel

Saks-Werbespiel, c.1930

Promotional playing cards printed by B. Dondorf for Saks & Company, New York, late 1920s (aka “Saks Fifth Avenue”). The cards are designed in Art Deco style and represent an original artistic exercise in commercial playing card design. The suit symbols are coloured in red, black, green and orange, in the manner of “No Revoke” packs, presumably to make them easier to distinguish. In addition, each of these four colours predominates in the colour scheme for the court cards in their respective suit.

Above: promotional playing cards printed by Dondorf for Saks & Company, New York, late 1920s. The manufacturer's name is not printed anywhere on the cards. The reverse shows a design with cats. Each card measures: 92mm x 60mm. Images courtesy Barney Townshend.

Different coloured suit symbols had been patented in USA on Nov 23, 1926, by Antoine Lefebure of San Francisco, with the assertion that “even experienced players confuse clubs and spades; hearts and diamonds”  here►