Anatomy of a king
Six steps from the frame and margin to the corner index: how the picture of a card monarch is built and why it reads at a glance.
Collections
Collections
A collection is a short route through the magazine. Each one contains three pieces that are easy to read in a row: first the history, then how the image is built, and then how to examine it and keep it safe. If you are new here, pick the theme that appeals to you most and start with the first card. Links at the bottom of each page will point you to the other sections.
One evening with a magnifying glass and an old deck is enough to turn familiar kings into interesting company.
How this section works: each collection gathers sections of the magazine around a single subject. Inside you will find only our own material, with no outside offers, advertising or game tips.
Court cards and kings
The court characters of the deck: how they were drawn, cut and how we recognise them today.
Card backs and patterns
The back of the card as an ornament in its own right and a clue for dating.
Magazine themes
Printing techniques and card designs from different countries: the themes in which back patterns are examined in most detail.
How to examine an old deck
Five steps on the home page: from the back and the court cards to the paper, the edges and the marks on the box.
Print exhibitions
Where to see old cards next to engravings and book headpieces and compare their ornaments in person.
Small decks and patience
Pocket and travel decks, quiet games of patience and everything that fits in the palm of your hand.
Patience as a quiet pastime
Laying out cards alone has long been a way to relax and focus; the magazine looks at it as part of everyday culture, without rules.
Collecting small decks
Miniature cards are especially prized by collectors: on a tiny sheet the skill of the designer and the printer is plain to see.
Magazine contents
All sections with short descriptions, so you can quickly find the page on printing, court cards or storage.
Read next
- Articles
Six themes of the magazine, from the first decks to caring for old cards, plus the catalogue of English-language articles.
- History
The journey of the playing card from Tang-dynasty China to the European suits and the Russian "Atlas" deck of 1862.
- Analysis
How the picture of a card king is built, and how to tell woodcut, copper engraving, lithography and offset apart by the print.
- Archive
The magazine's contents and why pages of the former website on this domain are not being restored.
- Home
A magazine about the playing card as a picture: the history of decks, suits and court cards, printmaking and collecting.
Sources
- Startpoker1 magazine articles
- Encyclopaedic sources on the history of playing cards
Dates and facts about the history of playing cards come from open encyclopaedic and museum sources; where historians disagree, we try to say so. Please check the times, venues and admission arrangements for exhibitions and lectures with the organisers.