BEIN PLAYING CARDS GEN 966: Imperfect: 16 cards only. From the Cary Collection of Playing Cards., Title devised by cataloger., Latin/Italo-Portuguese suit system., and Composition of deck unknown.
Title supplied by cataloger., An optical box (or boîte d'optique) for viewing peepshows; accompanied by 10 peepshows displaying a variety of scenes., Peepshows possibly engraved and printed by Martin Engelbrecht of Augsburg., To use the box, the viewer looked through the magnifying lens and saw, reflected in a mirror placed at a 45-degree angle, a three-dimensional scene formed from a series of six layered images., Each of the 10 accompanying peepshow sets contains six views; all of the views are printed on stiff paper, are hand colored and have been cut out except for the sixth which forms the background and has the number 6 printed at the bottom. In some cases view 5 also has the number printed at the bottom., Each peepshow is housed in an individual packet of paper with a manuscript title in Dutch; the packets have been hand numbered nos. 1-9 and no. 11 and, on the verso of each view, the set number and the view number have been added in ms., and Within the background view of set no. 6, the letter H is printed in the lower left corner.
A collection of hand-drawn transformation playing cards using the suit symbols incorporated in the sketches of people in a variety of scenes, some clearly English, others continental. Two examples are a fireside scene illustrating a mother and child (and two others) seated in front of a fireplace with a hanging cauldron, and an illustration of an amorous couple enjoying a dance as a violinist plays stage left. The cards depict both black and white characters, all of whom are wealthy or of high status, including soldiers, bishops, and men and women in fashionable dress. At the top of one card above the head of a man who reads from a sheet as he addresses a woman who looks down demurely, are the words "Mio ben.". On the verso of two cards are inscriptions in English. The first shows a figure in Shakespearean-era costume on the front and on the back, a quote from Twelfth night (Act II, Scene 5): "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” A second shows a couple sitting across from each other with an empty table between and on the back three stanzas from William Cowper’s The Diverting History of John Gilpin, first published in 1782
Description:
Title devised by cataloger. and In a later envelope inscribed 'Mlle. de Bernardy' and 'N. Anderson'.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Topic):
Playing cards, Card games, and Social life and customs
Three, carefully hand-drawn transformation cards. The Ace is a scene of calvarymen, one of whom holds a flag, turned to form a diamond shape that has been highlighted in red. The two of diamonds is a scene in a gothic nook of a cardinal reclining, his hands clasped and his feet crossed; his hat is one diamond and the second his pillow, both highlighted in red. The three of diamonds is an image of three men, shown half-length, all with beards and one with spectacles
