El Barco
El Barco playing cards designed by E. Pastor, Valencia, Spain, c.1895
Illuminated playing Cards for Chocolates “El Barco” designed by E. Pastor and manufactured by Simeon Durá, Valencia, Spain, c.1895
Above: E. Pastor's magnificently illustrated Spanish suited playing cards specially designed for Chocolates 'El Barco' and printed chromolithographically by Simeon Durá, Valencia, c.1895. This pack is regarded by many collectors as the unsurpassed masterpiece of Spanish playing card production. E. Pastor also designed Simeon Durá's fantasy Castilian pack, which was later re-drawn to become the company's standard pattern.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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