Politicards 1971
Politicards 1971 for the presidential election in which Richard Nixon won a landslide victory.
This was the first pack of Politicards to be produced. The pack was created in 1971 and released in 1972 in anticipation of that Fall's presidential election. This was the election in which incumbent Republican president Richard Nixon defeated Democratic U.S. senator George McGovern in an historic-level landslide. The cards were conceived and designed by the (then) 26-year-old designer and illustrator Peter Green. The cards humorously depict various politicians, candidates, wives of politicians, celebrities, and other familiar faces (such as Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, J. Edgar Hoover, Bob Hope, and Jane Fonda). The 2 jokers are Norman Mailer and William F. Buckly. See the key card►
• See the box►
Subsequent "Politicards" have come out over the years with cartoons created by various artists.
By Peter Burnett
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.
Related Articles
Red Hat Society playing cards
Society that encourages women in their quest to get the most out of life.
Pam is the Knave of Clubs
Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...
Question and Answer Games
A card game called “Impertinent Questions and Pertinent Answers” was launched in the early 1920s by ...
Dr Sacheverell
Dr. Henry Sacheverell's impeachment in 1710 sparked widespread public unrest and political upheaval,...
Cartes politiques : Jeu d'actualité
Political playing cards published by Grimaud et Chartier, Paris, 1872.
Politiker-Skat by Bubec
Caricatures of world leaders, including many German politicians, by the artist Bubec.
Le Poker Politique
French politicians and various world leaders caricatured by the German artist Bubec.
Modern Jass (Fredy Sigg)
Caricatural updating of traditional Swiss Jass cards by the artist Fredy Sigg.
SCOR playing cards
Bizarre and fantastical images by the artist Roland Topor for the SCOR reinsurance company.
Mountain Dream Tarot
Groundbreaking Tarot created by Bea Nettles, using photographs and photo montage.
Junior Playing Cards
Child-friendly versions of standard English pattern cards designed by Louie Mantia, Jr.
Last Call Cats playing cards
Bar-crawling cats, designed by artists Arna Miller and Ravi Zupa.
Scruffy Mutts
‘Scruffy Mutts’ dog-themed playing cards, United Kingdom, c.1998.
Covered bridges playing cards
Historical covered bridges with photography by Bill Miller, 2006.
Motherpeace Round Tarot
An original and imaginative feminist tarot based on Goddess energy.
Victorian playing cards
54 different card designs including people, animals, flowers, costumes and ornaments popular during ...