Victor Hugo 1885-1985
Characters from novels by Victor Hugo marking the centenary of his death, as conceived by Dominique Asselot.
To mark the centenary of the death of the French novelist and poet Victor Hugo (1802-1885), two different sets of cards were issued – this one and Victor Hugo, “L’homme qui rit”. In the present one, characters from four different works are represented: Notre-Dame de Paris (aka The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, 1831), Quatre-Vingt Treize (Ninety-Three, 1874), Les Misérables (1862), and L’Homme qui rit (The Man Who Laughs, 1869). The artist, Dominique Asselot (b.1949), has given the characters a sombre look in keeping with the dramas in which they appear. The characters are listed and described in the accompanying leaflet. On the Jokers are three likenesses of Victor Hugo at different periods of his life. There is additional, gold decoration in the centre of the numeral cards and in two of the corners of all the other cards. The pips are elongated. Hugo’s initials appear on the reverse multiple times.
Above: 'Victor Hugo 1885-1985' playing cards printed and published by France Cartes, Saint-Max, France, 1985. 52 cards + 2 (identical) Jokers + 1 title card + leaflet in French, in tuck box (or double drop-lid box). Size: 63 x 88 mm.
Both single and double packs were issued. The single packs have identical fronts, with the back pattern reproduced on the reverse. See the boxes.
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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