The Winning Hand

This special edition 54-card pack, published in 1993, is “made up of the winning designs submitted by students from over 250 art schools and colleges from around the UK who entered the Winning Hand design competition, jointly sponsored by the Victoria and Albert Museum and Virgin Atlantic Airways”. (From the accompanying information card which is signed by the respective institutional directors: Elizabeth Esteve-Coll and Richard Branson). The cards are colourful and attractive, but unfortunately the chosen artists/designers are not named. See the box►

Above: The Winning Hand playing cards with artwork from multiple artists, sponsored by the Victoria and Albert Museum and Virgin Atlantic Airways, United Kingdom, 1993.

Endnote

A 2-page article in Playing-Card World, No. 72, May 1993, pp 26-7 (almost certainly by John Berry, though not signed), mentions the prizewinners and also the fact that Elaine Lewis contributed the 7 of Hearts. Furthermore, all the artists were asked to submit original work not offered or used elsewhere. Unfortunately, it was discovered that one artist had disobeyed this instruction so the decision was taken to withdraw the pack from sale after a short period of time. I'm not sure whether it was ever re-issued with a different card in place of the offending one - Roddy Somerville.