Popular heroes and celebrities
Miniature children's playing cards depicting popular heroes and celebrities on the backs, Montevideo, c.1928.
National Celebrities and Heroes playing cards
anonymous manufacturer, Montevideo, c.1928
Above: Miniature children's playing cards depicting popular heroes and celebrities on the backs. Similar packs were published showing football players and popular sayings and proverbs. The fronts of the cards show standard Spanish-suited cards printed in blue and orange, in the Catalan style. The ace of coins depicts symbols of commerce and national triumph, and the four of coins depicts a quiver of arrows and a shield. Cards of this type are examples of playing cards used for educational purposes besides providing entertainment value to young people.
Educational or Instructional playing cards have been around since the 16th century. See also: Logica Memorativa by Thomas Murner, 1507 • Robert Morden's Map Cards, 1676 • Arms of English Peers, 1686 • Proverbial Cards, 1698 • Mechanical Instruments, c.1700 • Geistliche Karten, 1718 • Cartes Questions-Devinettes, c.1840 • Happy Families • Jaques' Illustrated Proverbs, c.1885 • Spanish Instructional Cards, 1888 • Japanese Uta Garuta • Children's Maxim Cards from Uruguay • Change for a Shilling, c.1930 • Indian Alphabetical Cards, c.1940 • Wild Flower Sevens card game, 1960 • Snip Snap, 1968 • Learn Thai Playing Cards, 2009 •
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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