Prague 1908 Jubilee
This special pack of playing cards, published in 1908, was available at the Jubilee Exhibition held in Prague.
Prague 1908 Jubilee Exhibition
The republic of Czechoslovakia was founded in 1918 from the former Austro-Hungarian empire. However, before this the Czech lands were provinces of Austria. This special pack of playing cards, published in 1908, was available at the Jubilee Exhibition held in Prague in celebration of Emperor Franz Joseph's 60th anniversary on the Austrian throne. The four non-standard suits are themed after the Exhibition pavilions: Toboggans, Chinese Lanterns, African Shields and Barrels.
Right: brewing featured in the exhibition and is represented here by the suit of Barrels. The King of Barrels is a Jester →
There are no Aces, but the Dauses (Twos) show fairground attractions present in the fair, such as the big dipper, helter-skelter, elephant rides and the Abyssinian Chief's palace. The colour schemes for each suit are subtly different. The manufacturer's name appears on the Two of Toboggans.
Above: a limited edition of only 1000 of the Prague Jubilee Exhibition packs were printed. Manufactured by Jan Šrámek of Prague, chromolithography, 32 cards, 71 x 114 mms, square corners, no corner indices, in a paper wrapper.
REFERENCES
Šťáhlavsky, Zdeněk: A Pack for the Prague 1908 Jubilee Exhibition, in "The Playing Card" Vol.31 no.6, May-June 2003, IPCS, England
• See also: Czech Nationalistic • 'Jugendstil' designed by Artuš Scheiner, 1920 • Ritter & Cie "Art Deco", 1933 • Eagle Playing Card Co., Ltd.
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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