Colonial Art

The deck features work by Austrian-born artist David Ludwig Bloch, who was born in Bavaria in 1910. David became completely deaf after a childhood illness, but this did not stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming an artist. In 1938, he was expelled from Munich University for being Jewish. After spending four weeks in a concentration camp, he fled to Shanghai, China, thanks to the support of a relative in America.

Above: four cards from the Morgan Press deck by David Ludwig Bloch. The 9 and 10 of Hearts show “Harvest Time” and “Defending the Coast,” while the 9 and 10 of Spades feature “Making Wine” and “Paddlewheel Steamer,” with unique colored pips on the nines and tens.

In 1941, he had his first solo exhibition, which focused on the underprivileged and documented the appalling living conditions of Jewish refugees. In 1949, he moved to America with his Chinese wife and continued to work as both a graphic designer and painter.

Above: The 9 and 10 of Clubs feature “Maple Syrup Time” and “Western Fort,” while the 9 and 10 of Diamonds depict “King Cotton” and “Stagecoach.”

Lloyd Morgan, the owner of Morgan Press Incorporated, had previously found success with two tarot decks at the end of the 1960s, both of which were commercially very successful. One of his salesmen, Bill Falls, introduced Bloch to Morgan. Bloch designed the deck, and although it was never financially successful, it was quite an achievement, showcasing his love for the USA through bright, colorful pieces. Bloch even used different colored pips on the nines and tens of each suit.

In 1976, after a visit to Germany, Bloch’s art became entirely focused on the Holocaust. He continued to have art exhibitions throughout the USA and even had a one-man retrospective at the Jewish Museum in Munich in 2000, which coincided with his 90th birthday. He died in New York in 2002.

Unusually, the deck of cards has backs in three different shades of blue (See the backs ). Since the deck I have appears never to have been played with, I believe this is more likely a printing error than exposure to sunlight. There is also an error with the three of spades: one of the indexes is the wrong way around.

An oversize deck of cards measuring 3.25" x 5" was produced and printed by Morgan Press Incorporated sometime between 1970 and 1975. (See the box ).