Peter Burnett
- United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
Matryoshka playing cards
The first nested doll set was carved in 1890.
Palekh and Kholui lacquer miniatures
Palekh and Kholui lacquer miniatures.
Playing cards in Russian life
Playing cards in Russian life - Karty v zhizni Rossii - published by Aleksandr Lutkovskii in 2004.
Spot the Difference
Spot the Difference playing cards published in "Razvlekatel’naia Gazetka" newspaper, 1998-1999.
The world’s smallest playing cards
Samye malen’kie v mire igral’nye karty / The world’s smallest playing cards
Hunting playing cards
Hunting playing cards / “Okhotnich’i karty” with illustrations by the court artist Mihály Zichy.
Russian Emperors
Russian Emperors playing cards / “Rossiiskie imperatory karty igral’nye” produced and illustrated by Aleksei Orleanskii, 2006.
Russian Beer
Russian Beer playing cards / “Russkoe pivo karty igral’nye” produced in 2006
Dead Souls
Dead Souls, or “Mertvye dushi igral’nye karty” produced in 2006 by Aleksei Orleanskii.
Chernobyl Memorial Playing Cards
Chernobyl Memorial Playing Cards designed by Misery Development Ltd. / Nicolai Aaroe and printed in Ukraine by Noir Arts Playing Cards.
Suvenirnye Karty Odesskie
Pack printed by “Moryak” in Odessa illustrated by artist Yu. Litvinenko.
Suvenirni Karti: XVII Storochchia
Warriors and Soldiers of the 17th century, produced in L’viv in 2010.
Ukrainian souvenir playing cards
Ukrains’ki karti gral’ni suvenirni / Ukrainian souvenir playing cards designed by Andrii Letn’ov, c.2012.
Eneida
This pack was designed by Oksana Ternavska and first published in 2011 as a supplement to the book "Eneida", a poem written by Ivan Kotliarevsky in 1798.
Rokoko
Rokoko (Rococo) reflecting the dress and culture of the first half of the 18th century.