Transformation Playing Cards

Moonbow

I can't find a thread specifically about transformation playing cards so thought I would post a few examples. I'm quite taken by these.

Here is a image from The World of Playing Cards

cardse.jpg


Once playing cards started to become more standard in their images the designers started to draw figures around the pips. The first transformation playing cards were created by D.W. Soltan and D. Berger in 1801. Here is the wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformation_playing_card#History
 

Bernice

I really like the deck at the second link by M.Loder (1781-1828). I wonder if there is an affordable reprint?

The fourth link, "J.Cotta" (Germany) "Die Jungfrau von Orleans", 1805 designed by Countess Charlotte von Jennison-Walworth. I have the reprint by Lo Scarabeo, called the Goethe deck.

Thank you for these links Huck.


Bee :)
 

Moonbow

Thanks for the links Huck.

Are these images specifically for help with divination of playing cards, or just for fun, to liven up the deck whilst keeping the suit pips in the right pattern? Did/do serious game players use these cards or are they just a novelty? Are there specific games that transformation decks are used for? I'll do some more reading up on them but the historical ones particularly interest me, I hope others find them just as intriguing.