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French Miscellaneous

Published April 30, 2012 Updated November 20, 2022
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By Ken Lodge

Member since May 14, 2012

​I'm Ken Lodge and have been collecting playing cards since I was about eighteen months old (1945). I am also a trained academic, so I can observe and analyze reasonably well. I've applied these analytical techniques over a long period of time to the study of playing cards and have managed to assemble a large amount of information about them, especially those of the standard English pattern. About Ken Lodge →

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1984 Tarot Actuel 1984

Tarot Actuel 1984

Major arcana to cut out, issued with the French magazine Actuel, using photographic images.

1865 Spanish pattern by Eugène Boisse

Spanish pattern by Eugène Boisse

Spanish pattern published by Eugène Boisse, Bordeaux.

1860 Catalan pattern by B.P Grimaud

Catalan pattern by B.P Grimaud

Standard Spanish Catalan pattern deck made in Paris by B.P Grimaud.

1872 Cartes politiques : Jeu d'actualité

Cartes politiques : Jeu d'actualité

Political playing cards published by Grimaud et Chartier, Paris, 1872.

1983 Le Poker Politique

Le Poker Politique

French politicians and various world leaders caricatured by the German artist Bubec.

1630 Swiss playing cards by Iehan Hemau

Swiss playing cards by Iehan Hemau

17th century Swiss-suited playing cards by Iehan Hemau of Épinal.

1988 SCOR playing cards

SCOR playing cards

Bizarre and fantastical images by the artist Roland Topor for the SCOR reinsurance company.

Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern

Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern

Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern by Guillaume & Jean Grossard (Bordeaux).

1972 Les Jeux de Pastor

Les Jeux de Pastor

Striking designs by Edouard Pastor focusing on the heads of figures from the medieval period.

1971 Le Jeu des Personnages de l’Antiquité et du Moyen-Age

Le Jeu des Personnages de l’Antiquité et du Moyen-Age

Edouard Pastor’s designs in black and gold inspired by Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Rouen Pattern  - Portrait Rouennais

Rouen Pattern - Portrait Rouennais

An attractive XV century French-suited design from Rouen became the standard English & Anglo-America...

1708 Archaic Spanish proof sheets

Archaic Spanish proof sheets

2 x uncoloured proof sheets of archaic Spanish-suited playing cards produced for “New Spain”, possib...

1880 English Pattern by B.P. Grimaud

English Pattern by B.P. Grimaud

Standard English pattern published by B.P. Grimaud with engraving by F. Simon, c.1880.

1965 Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)

Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)

Colourful version of a standard French (‘Bourgeois’) Tarot.

1972 Smith-Corona Marchant

Smith-Corona Marchant

Simplified yet colourful court card designs by Avoine for Smith-Corona Marchant.

1975 Redrawn French pattern (Héron)

Redrawn French pattern (Héron)

Redrawn French pattern retaining traditional elements.