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Playing Card Pack

1830-37 (published)
Artist/Maker
Bancks Brothers (publisher)
Place of origin
London (published)

Pack of 52 playing cards; Standard, full length figures with plain pink backs; Woodcuts and colour stencil (the Ace of Spades engraved); Lettered on Duty Ace of Spades: 'Duty One Shilling Bancks Brothers Successors To Hunt & Sons.'

Object details

Categories
Playing Cards & Tarot Cards
Prints
Games
Object type
Playing card pack
Parts
This object consists of 53 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Playing Cards
  • Print
  • Playing Card
  • Print
  • Playing Card
  • Print
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
  • Playing Card
Materials and techniques
woodcuts and colour stencil (the Ace of Spades engraved)
Printing Ink
Wood-Cutting
Colour Stencil
Brief description
Pack of 52 playing cards; Standard, full length figures with plain pink backs; Woodcuts and colour stencil (the Ace of Spades engraved); Published by Bancks Brothers (successors to Hunt and Sons); England; 1830-37.
Physical description
Pack of 52 playing cards; Standard, full length figures with plain pink backs; Woodcuts and colour stencil (the Ace of Spades engraved); Lettered on Duty Ace of Spades: 'Duty One Shilling Bancks Brothers Successors To Hunt & Sons.'
Dimensions
  • Each height: 9.3cm
  • Each width: 6.4cm
Measurements taken from: Hamilton, Jean. Playing Cards in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Victoria & Albert Museum. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. London, 1988
Marks and inscriptions
Duty One Shilling Bancks Brothers Successors To Hunt & Sons. (Lettered on Duty Ace of Spades.)
Credit line
Given by Mr L J Frost
Historical context
The publishers, Banck Brothers (successors to Hunt and Sons), feature on a list, in Charles Dicken's (1837-1896) 'Dictionary of London', 1879. They are recorded as being 'the tradesmen of Her Majesty the Queen and of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales' : 'CARD MAKERS - *+ Bancks Bros. 12, Glasshouse-st.'
Production
The Ace of Spades is printed from the same plate, with lettering changed, as the Duty card of another pack, E. 695-1950.
Subject depicted
Playing Cards
Bibliographic references
  • Hamilton, Jean. Playing Cards in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Victoria & Albert Museum. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. London, 1988, p.39, ill. No. 6
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1937, London: Board of Education, 1938.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.825-1937

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O734619/playing-card-pack-bancks-brothers/
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