Reproduction of the original.

Intricate study based on research and card collections from around the world tells the story of playing cards and their manufacture, plus provides a fascinating overview of heraldry, geography, history, and the social and political activities of man over the past six centuries. "The most authoritative and complete treatment of its kind." -- The New York Times.

Some of the very earliest European references to playing-cards are from Spanish sources. This book describes the playing-cards from the earliest fourteenth-century records to the present day. For much of that time, the austere gambler's card has been supplemented by an enormous range of other types whose dominant intention has been to entertain, inform or advertise. From seemingly crude and simple woodcut designs to the most florid of 'baroque' ornamentation to the brightly coloured modern styles of the late twentieth century, all are here dealt with fully, and their histories clearly differentiated to emphasise their divergent roles. This book provides a wide range of illustrations of all these types.

Accelerated Reader: Reading Level 4.4, 3 Points.