Fabrica de Cigarrillos Roldan y Cia, Lima, Peru
The design of the figures is very agile with excellent colour harmony and execution.

“El Perú” Fabrica de Cigarrillos
Antique chromolithographed cards from a fantasy publicity pack for the Peruvian tobacco company Roldan y Cia, San José 66, Lima. c.1890. 40 cards, miniature size: 36x55 mm. The design and transformation of the suit symbols into illustrated scenes is very agile with excellent colour harmony and execution. An identical, full sized pack was made for the French firm Joseph Bardou & Fils for the Philippines. Only the legends and advertising slogans have changed. Manufacturer unknown, but believed to have been Spanish.


Above: cards from a fantasy publicity pack for the Peruvian tobacco company Roldan y Cia, San José 66, Lima. c.1890
REFERENCES
"La Sota" No.26, March 2002


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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