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Three days to go until we wrap up 2023! There remains little clarity regarding the origin of the present deck. The German version was most likely produced by Maximilian Frommann from Darmstadt and was published under the title ‘Musicalische Zauberkarte 100.000 Tänze für das Piano’ (‘Musical Magic Cards. 100,000 dances for the piano’).  The deck can be roughly dated to 1869 because of a review in ‘Polybiblion: Universal Bibliographic Review’ from that year. Besides being used as playing cards, the present deck can also be used as “musical magic cards” to generate a multitude of melodies. Each card has a musical stave, accompanied by an illustration of figures playing various instruments. Instructions accompanying a later facsimile read: “Select indiscriminately and place on the musicdesk, in the middle a 1, on the left-hand extremity a picture-card, and on the right a seven. Fill each of the two intervening spaces by any three cards taken also indiscriminately . . . . It will then be found that the nine cards placed together form two pieces of dance-music which can be played without difficulty.” The cards proved popular enough to warrant reproduction and translation into several languages, including French and Italian. The Laemmert firm in Rio de Janeiro was responsible for English and Portuguese versions too.

We're dancing our way towards our Christmas gallery closure 💃 The present deck represents one of the most successful ventures into commercial advertising through the medium of playing cards. During the late nineteenth century, Moore & Calvi issued six decks of playing cards to advertise their various products, with the present example promoting their Hard-A-Port Cut Plug tobacco. Moore & Calvi was a New York-based tobacco manufacturer that is best remembered not for its smoking products but for the playing cards it produced to advertise its various brands of tobacco, including Hard-A-Port Cut Plug, Wake Up Cut Plug and Trumps Long Cut. All three brands had their own separate playing cards with images of graceful ladies. One of New York’s largest lithography companies during the late nineteenth century, Lindner, Eddy & Claus was responsible for the manufacture and publication of Moore & Calvi’s cards. They also worked with other tobacco companies, such as Allen & Ginter, on a range of promotional material.

We're dancing our way towards our Christmas gallery closure 💃 The present deck represents one of the most successful ventures into commercial advertising through the medium of playing cards. During the late nineteenth century, Moore & Calvi issued six decks of playing cards to advertise their various products, with the present example promoting their Hard-A-Port Cut Plug tobacco. Moore & Calvi was a New York-based tobacco manufacturer that is best remembered not for its smoking products but for the playing cards it produced to advertise its various brands of tobacco, including Hard-A-Port Cut Plug, Wake Up Cut Plug and Trumps Long Cut. All three brands had their own separate playing cards with images of graceful ladies. One of New York’s largest lithography companies during the late nineteenth century, Lindner, Eddy & Claus was responsible for the manufacture and publication of Moore & Calvi’s cards. They also worked with other tobacco companies, such as Allen & Ginter, on a range of promotional material.

In five days, we'll be closed for Christmas. We're starting this week with Five of Hearts, showing chefs with heart-shaped faces busy cooking ‘A Hearty Dinner’.♥️ The Kinney Tobacco Company was one of America’s leading cigarette manufacturers during the nineteenth century, merging into the American Tobacco Company in 1890. It was responsible for the creation of the ‘Sweet Caporal’ cigarette brand, and became particularly famous due to its innovative advertising method. During the 1880s, it created and issued a wide range of playing and trading cards featuring everything from horses to actresses, military paraphernalia to butterflies. Most successful among the Kinney Tobacco Company’s marketing cards were the Harlequin Cards; to receive a complimentary deck, one simply had to collect and send in 100 wrappers from Kinney’s various tobacco products. The deal was hugely popular, and the cards were in great demand, no doubt due to their comical nature. The court cards show the traditional full-length royal characters engaged in unconventional activities: the Queen of Hearts plays the banjo, while the King of Diamonds counts his money. The Queen of Clubs is shown taking a swig from a flask, while the Queen of Diamonds examines a diamond-shaped jewel. Each suit follows a theme, with Clubs associated with alcohol, Diamonds with wealth, Hearts with music and Spades, rather more virtuously, with gardening. The pip cards show all manner of bizarre and humorous scenes, with the suit marks forming key parts of the main image. Some centre around puns, such as this Five of Hearts, and the Two of Hearts, which shows a cock-fight between chickens with heart-shaped bodies, entitled ‘Two Brave Hearts’. Despite their popularity, the present cards are very rare.

In five days, we'll be closed for Christmas. We're starting this week with Five of Hearts, showing chefs with heart-shaped faces busy cooking ‘A Hearty Dinner’.♥️ The Kinney Tobacco Company was one of America’s leading cigarette manufacturers during the nineteenth century, merging into the American Tobacco Company in 1890. It was responsible for the creation of the ‘Sweet Caporal’ cigarette brand, and became particularly famous due to its innovative advertising method. During the 1880s, it created and issued a wide range of playing and trading cards featuring everything from horses to actresses, military paraphernalia to butterflies. Most successful among the Kinney Tobacco Company’s marketing cards were the Harlequin Cards; to receive a complimentary deck, one simply had to collect and send in 100 wrappers from Kinney’s various tobacco products. The deal was hugely popular, and the cards were in great demand, no doubt due to their comical nature. The court cards show the traditional full-length royal characters engaged in unconventional activities: the Queen of Hearts plays the banjo, while the King of Diamonds counts his money. The Queen of Clubs is shown taking a swig from a flask, while the Queen of Diamonds examines a diamond-shaped jewel. Each suit follows a theme, with Clubs associated with alcohol, Diamonds with wealth, Hearts with music and Spades, rather more virtuously, with gardening. The pip cards show all manner of bizarre and humorous scenes, with the suit marks forming key parts of the main image. Some centre around puns, such as this Five of Hearts, and the Two of Hearts, which shows a cock-fight between chickens with heart-shaped bodies, entitled ‘Two Brave Hearts’. Despite their popularity, the present cards are very rare.

You could call our playing card countdown until the gallery closure rather 'sweet' ... The El Barco chocolatier led Valencia’s chocolate industry in the late nineteenth century, and was particularly well known for its ornate tin boxes and collectable stickers and playing cards with which its products came. These were printed by a variety of lithographers, including Simeon Durá, J. Esteller and the widow of Ismael Haase. The name of the later is found on many of the present cards, but the Nine of Clubs also identifies J. Esteller as the lithographer. The cards were designed by illustrator and artist Edouard Pastor, whose name also appears on the Nine of Clubs. Pastor was also responsible for another deck of cards during the previous decade, which were produced by Durá. One of the most notable features of the present deck is its size, with the cards all being considerably larger than average. This allows for highly detailed images, with each whimsical scene integrating the four traditional Spanish suits of coins, cups, clubs and swords. The Twelve of Coins, for instance, shows a cigar-smoking man with a comically large and round head, while the Six of Cups shows a medieval feast at which the participants are all raising their cups in a toast. With the exception of the Aces, each card features a miniature version of the standard playing card, which is itself sometimes incorporated into the scene. The value of each card is also written in text along the lower edge.

You could call our playing card countdown until the gallery closure rather 'sweet' ... The El Barco chocolatier led Valencia’s chocolate industry in the late nineteenth century, and was particularly well known for its ornate tin boxes and collectable stickers and playing cards with which its products came. These were printed by a variety of lithographers, including Simeon Durá, J. Esteller and the widow of Ismael Haase. The name of the later is found on many of the present cards, but the Nine of Clubs also identifies J. Esteller as the lithographer. The cards were designed by illustrator and artist Edouard Pastor, whose name also appears on the Nine of Clubs. Pastor was also responsible for another deck of cards during the previous decade, which were produced by Durá. One of the most notable features of the present deck is its size, with the cards all being considerably larger than average. This allows for highly detailed images, with each whimsical scene integrating the four traditional Spanish suits of coins, cups, clubs and swords. The Twelve of Coins, for instance, shows a cigar-smoking man with a comically large and round head, while the Six of Cups shows a medieval feast at which the participants are all raising their cups in a toast. With the exception of the Aces, each card features a miniature version of the standard playing card, which is itself sometimes incorporated into the scene. The value of each card is also written in text along the lower edge.

For day seven of our playing card countdown we present to you this jolly fellow from the 'Transformation' deck. Maximilian Joseph Frommann (1813-1866) was an illustrator and card-maker based in Darmstadt, Germany. After his death, his daughter Anna started a publishing business with her husband Georg Bünte, under the name Frommann & Bünte, while his son Friedrich formed his own firm with Friedrich Morian, named Frommann & Morian. From 1866 to 1872, the siblings worked together to manage their late father's affairs, and later both went on to publish their own decks of playing cards. Maximilian Frommann had designed ten new cards shortly before his death, which were later incorporated into the present deck, along with 19 cards copied from an 1852 deck published by German firm Braun & Schneider, and 23 taken from Grimaud’s 1850 deck. Frommann’s new designs are shown on the pip cards, and fall into the category of “transformation card”. The suit marks are incorporated into the main image in a simple yet clear way. A club symbol, for example, forms part of the design on a knight’s breastplate, while a spade serves as a spearhead.

By this time next week, our gallery will be closed. If you would like purchase any of our wonderful maps, atlases, or globes before Christmas, we recommend placing orders within the next week. For number eight in our playing card countdown, we have a light-hearted lady taken from a deck published by Samuel and Joseph Fuller, brothers who ran a publishing firm that operated from 34 Rathbone Place, London, during the first half of the nineteenth century. In 1862, the premises were sold, along with all their stock; an advertisement for a local auction house ran: “Extensive, Interesting, and Valuable Collection of Modern Engravings, and Illustrated Books, principally the Stock of Messrs. Fuller (sold in consequence of the retirement of the senior partner)”.

By this time next week, our gallery will be closed. If you would like purchase any of our wonderful maps, atlases, or globes before Christmas, we recommend placing orders within the next week. For number eight in our playing card countdown, we have a light-hearted lady taken from a deck published by Samuel and Joseph Fuller, brothers who ran a publishing firm that operated from 34 Rathbone Place, London, during the first half of the nineteenth century. In 1862, the premises were sold, along with all their stock; an advertisement for a local auction house ran: “Extensive, Interesting, and Valuable Collection of Modern Engravings, and Illustrated Books, principally the Stock of Messrs. Fuller (sold in consequence of the retirement of the senior partner)”.

Our countdown continues until we close for Christmas. Our ninth card here is taken from a deck that accompanied the sale of W.D. & H.O Wills scissors. These decks almost always showed images of famous or beautiful women, with decks entitled ‘Film Stars’, ‘Actresses’ and ‘Beauties’.

Our countdown continues until we close for Christmas. Our ninth card here is taken from a deck that accompanied the sale of W.D. & H.O Wills scissors. These decks almost always showed images of famous or beautiful women, with decks entitled ‘Film Stars’, ‘Actresses’ and ‘Beauties’.

Ten days to go before we're closed for Christmas! Here we have the ten of spades from a card deck designed by Fendor Flizer, a German illustrator best known for his paintings of cats.

Ten days to go before we're closed for Christmas! Here we have the ten of spades from a card deck designed by Fendor Flizer, a German illustrator best known for his paintings of cats.

In eleven days, our gallery will be closed ... here we have number eleven from our 'Soccer Stars Playing Cards' deck. There is no doubt that this particular deck was designed for children, as the usual suit system has been replaced with playful images of wooden skittles, balls, and toys.

With so many playing cards in our 'Art of the Deal' catalogue, we're delighted to present a card themed countdown until the gallery closes for Christmas this year.

With so many playing cards in our 'Art of the Deal' catalogue, we're delighted to present a card themed countdown until the gallery closes for Christmas this year.

Maps in the Wild #323 - relief map of India in Drone on a black background. Spotted at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Final 2023. #mapsinthewild #indiajetiga #wotnoaustralia?

Not able to join us in person this weekend? Check out our virtual stand at Frieze Masters ✨

Not able to join us in person this weekend? Check out our virtual stand at Frieze Masters ✨ https://vr.artdeputy.net/iframe/daniel-crouch-rare-books-frieze-masters-2023?utm_content=sked_652a699bcfdc1a06a4a3b5b9&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

Show and tell at @friezeofficial with one of our grandest exhibitions yet. Come to stand G6 to experience for yourselves 🗺️

Three 19th century Japanese takes on London scenes, hanging at our gallery in St James’ for @londonartweek_ , 30th June - 7th July 🌞

London Art Week begins this Friday, 30 June - 7 July! Come visit us at our store in St James. @londonartweek_ #londonartweek #Londonart #londonartweek2023 #LAW2023

London Art Week begins this Friday, 30 June - 7 July! Come visit us at our store in St James. @londonartweek_ #londonartweek #Londonart #londonartweek2023 #LAW2023 https://londonartweek.co.uk?utm_content=sked_6499b8312be29b6dfbdd6362&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

The Coronation Peep-Show Book! 🇬🇧👑 who’s excited for tomorrow!?

We may or may not now have a tik tok account … head on over to follow us! Happy Thursday everyone, looking forward to that longhi weekend 😎 #longhi #raremaps

We are delighted to present our latest catalogue ❤️♠️ The Art of the Deal ♦️♣️ featuring our very special Frank van den Bergh Collection of 146 decks of playing cards. Playing cards is, in many ways, a hallmark of civilisation. Like maps and money, a deck of cards is a way of representing an entire value system and an understanding of human nature on paper. A game of cards embodies the inherent unpredictability of life, allowing us to grapple with the uncertainties, directing them towards our own ends. At the card table, when the hands are dealt, all men are temporarily equal; it is how they choose to play those cards that determines who will draw ahead. The players are required to practice both strategic and emotional discipline, and one’s reaction to a bad hand or a sudden windfall can reveal much about his temperament and priorities. As in cards, so in life. Order your copy or download a digital version from our website, link in bio. Happy reading! https://www.crouchrarebooks.com/catalogues?utm_content=sked_6411adb4752cee5116d6aefa&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

On this day in 1917, Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar abdicated, nominating his brother Grand Duke Michael to succeed him. One of the satirical prints within our collection, ‘Tsar Nicholas II puppet master’, was made in 1899 by Frederik William Rose, the most famous of the satirical mapmakers active in the late nineteenth century. A caricature map of Europe with each country depicted as an angler having various levels of success in hooking colonies: John Bull has a huge catch-bag (Ireland), with Egypt as a crocodile on the end of his line; France is a scuffle for control of the Third Republic between the military and civilian, their rod with an empty hook, with Napoleon’s shade looking on from Corsica; Spain is watching sadly as their former catch (fish marked Cuba, Porto Rico and Phillippines) is being dragged away on the lines of an unseen U.S.A.; Belgium has the Congo; the Austro-Hungarians are mourning the assassination of Empress Elisabeth by an anarchist; Turkey has a hook in ‘the Cretan spike fish’, and a stain on his trousers is a skull marked ‘Armenia’; Greece has pricked a finger trying to catch the spike fish by hand. Larger than all others is Russia, shown as Nicholas II with an olive branch in one hand and a line stretching to the Far East in the other. To find this print on our site and read more about Frederik W. Rose, follow the links in our bio.

On this day in 1917, Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar abdicated, nominating his brother Grand Duke Michael to succeed him.  One of the satirical prints within our collection, 'Tsar Nicholas II puppet master', was made in 1899 by Frederik William Rose, the most famous of the satirical mapmakers active in the late nineteenth century. A caricature map of Europe with each country depicted as an angler having various levels of success in hooking colonies: John Bull has a huge catch-bag (Ireland), with Egypt as a crocodile on the end of his line; France is a scuffle for control of the Third Republic between the military and civilian, their rod with an empty hook, with Napoleon’s shade looking on from Corsica; Spain is watching sadly as their former catch (fish marked Cuba, Porto Rico and Phillippines) is being dragged away on the lines of an unseen U.S.A.; Belgium has the Congo; the Austro-Hungarians are mourning the assassination of Empress Elisabeth by an anarchist; Turkey has a hook in ‘the Cretan spike fish’, and a stain on his trousers is a skull marked ‘Armenia’; Greece has pricked a finger trying to catch the spike fish by hand. Larger than all others is Russia, shown as Nicholas II with an olive branch in one hand and a line stretching to the Far East in the other. To find this print on our site and read more about Frederik W. Rose, follow the links in our bio.

On this day in 1917, Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar abdicated, nominating his brother Grand Duke Michael to succeed him. One of the satirical prints within our collection, 'Tsar Nicholas II puppet master', was made in 1899 by Frederik William Rose, the most famous of the satirical mapmakers active in the late nineteenth century. A caricature map of Europe with each country depicted as an angler having various levels of success in hooking colonies: John Bull has a huge catch-bag (Ireland), with Egypt as a crocodile on the end of his line; France is a scuffle for control of the Third Republic between the military and civilian, their rod with an empty hook, with Napoleon’s shade looking on from Corsica; Spain is watching sadly as their former catch (fish marked Cuba, Porto Rico and Phillippines) is being dragged away on the lines of an unseen U.S.A.; Belgium has the Congo; the Austro-Hungarians are mourning the assassination of Empress Elisabeth by an anarchist; Turkey has a hook in ‘the Cretan spike fish’, and a stain on his trousers is a skull marked ‘Armenia’; Greece has pricked a finger trying to catch the spike fish by hand. Larger than all others is Russia, shown as Nicholas II with an olive branch in one hand and a line stretching to the Far East in the other. To find this print on our site and read more about Frederik W. Rose, follow the links in our bio. #maps #raremaps #cartography #prints #caricature #caricaturemap #europe #tsarnicholas #frederikrose https://www.crouchrarebooks.com/maps/tsar-nicholas-ii-puppet-master?utm_content=sked_6410706ade9fce5d8820dbb0&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook