Swiss Costumes
Wüst's Swiss Cantons souvenir deck was published in Frankfurt in c.1875 for the emerging tourist market.
C. L. Wüst: Swiss Costumes, c.1875
Wüst's Swiss Cantons souvenir deck was first published in Frankfurt in c.1865 for the emerging commercialised tourist market which took off in the mid-19th century. Since 1863 Thomas Cook offered guided holidays to Switzerland which catered to a mixed clientele, from heads of state and princes to upwardly mobile representatives of the middle, lower middle and working classes. French suit symbols were used in this pack (rather than Swiss) making them appeal to international visitors. The costumes and canton shields along with four Aces depicting Swiss scenes were, of course, very attractive as souvenirs.
Facsimile Edition
A facsimile edition was produced from an original copy in the Schaffhauser Spielkartenfabrik AG Müller archive. See the Box►
Note
Here is an earlier Jack of Clubs (c1860-65) from the same pack by Wüst but without the factory mark. My thanks to Paul Symons for identifying this as an earlier example of this Wüst pack. RS
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.
His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.
Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.
Related Articles
Engel-Tarot
Set of major arcana designed by Alois Hanslian depicting angels throughout.
Virgil Solis
Remarkable pack of 52 animal-suited playing-cards designed and etched by Virgil Solis.
The Glasgow Pack
Issued to celebrate Glasgow’s reign as European City of Culture in 1990, with city views and works o...
Baraja Turística del País Vasco
Basque poker deck of 55 cards published by Fournier with scenic views of the Basque Country.
Politiker-Skat by Bubec
Caricatures of world leaders, including many German politicians, by the artist Bubec.
Le Poker Politique
French politicians and various world leaders caricatured by the German artist Bubec.
English Heritage
52 different colour photos of historic sites managed by English Heritage.
Covered bridges playing cards
Historical covered bridges with photography by Bill Miller, 2006.
Hispania Romana
Educational card game depicting the Roman period in Spanish history.
Unimog UX 100
Cartoons promoting the Unimog UX 100, a small truck produced by Mercedes-Benz.
Juristenskat
Caricatures of lawyers and judges by Philipp Heinisch for HEEL Verlag.
Battles in Mexico, 1847
Uncut proof sheet with Mexican Battle scenes on the aces and portraits of American generals on the c...
Go Go Gorillas!
Go Go Gorillas! charity playing cards sponsored by the Eastern Daily Press and the Norwich Evening N...
Double-ended German-suited pack by Josef Glanz, Vienna.
From the British Museum collection.
Piatnik’s 200th Anniversary
A special philatelic souvenir for Piatnik’s 200th anniversary, combining playing cards an...
Medizin Skat
Promotional pack for a hospital group in the Saarland, with non-standard suits and courts designed b...