Naipes Barcelonesa by Vigor S.R.L., Bs As, 1960
Naipes Barcelonesa Spanish-suited playing cards manufactured by Vigor S.R.L., Buenos Aires, 1960.
Naipes BARCELONESA Spanish-suited playing cards manufactured by Vigor S.R.L., Buenos Aires, 1955-75
Naipes Barcelonesa was one of Vigor's leading brand of Spanish-suited playing cards, alongside
Naipes La Estrella,
Chinita and
La Española. The logo on the four of cups and the wrapper shows folk dancers with the legend 'Barcelonesa'.
The Patent Office Registration documents, dated 22nd June 1955, show the original designs with the new company name overwritten. By holding these up to the light, we can read beneath the name of Igor Domicelj (c.1950-55), the company's predecessor. The same applies to the Registration documents for "Naipes Chin-Chun", a 50-card version of Naipes Barcelonesa for the game Chin-Chun, and "Naipes Golfo", a 48-card version for the game Golfo, which are also dated 1955.
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← Left: box and four of cups from Naipes Barcelonesa manufactured by Vigor S.R.L. c.1960.
Right: detail of the four of cups. The capital value of the company is quoted as $ 2,000,000 pesos.
Below: similar example of Naipes Barcelonesa, c.1960. |
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The card designs are based on those of Segundo de Olea (Spain) which had been imported into Argentina since the 19th century. The brand and designs are used in cards published today by Gráfica 2001 / Naipes La Española.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
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