A set of playing cards, or transformation cards, drawn by an unidentified artist, showing caricatured figures; each vignette incorporates the formation of hearts or diamonds into the scene. Some of the cards are numbered or annotated on the backs while others show drafts of other sketches. The set contains only the red suits, cards numbered from one to ten in each, although some numbers are missing and there are multiples of some numbers. Illustrations are also duplicated while others appear not to have been finished. There are no cards with clubs and spades. A number of the cards center on Shakespearean themes, social history, and street scenes (such as courtroom drama, musicians performing, a man in the stocks and, in a few, card playing itself). Some of the scenes depicted on these cards show more ribald, drawing from Macbeth’s Weird Sisters, Twelfth Night, King John, and The Merry Wives of Windsor; several are annotated on the reverse with lines from the plays. Falstaff is featured on several cards. Many of the cards reflect the mores of the period and the contrast between ruling passions and rules of conduct. In one, two men cast judgment upon a pregnant woman; it is annotated on the reverse with a dialogue between a Constable and a Judge. In "Village School" a schoolteacher manages to simultaneously hold a book and pinch a child's ear (nine of hearts). Other subjects include a game of chess (five of diamonds); drinking and smoking in a pub (seven of diamonds); and "Bunbury’s Country Club" (six of diamonds) in which the artist has kept elements from the print (published circa 1788). On the ten of diamonds the artist depicts a game of whist (annotated on the reverse "Can you one?").
Description:
In English., Title devised by cataloger., Some cards annotated and numbered on the verso., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
Subject (Topic):
Playing cards, Card games, and Social life and customs
BEIN JAP23: Imperfect: Plum Tanzaku wanting. From the Cary Collection of Playing Cards., Title devised by cataloger., Suit system: Months., and Composition of deck: 48 [12 suits of 4 cards].
Title devised by cataloger. and Copper plate for Horace Walpole's engraved bookplate; design after George Vertue, with Walpole family motto in Latin: Fari quae sentiat in scroll above and his name as "Mr Horace Walpole" with flourishes below.
BEIN PLAYING CARDS GEN 866: Cards are tied together with string and wax seal. From the Cary Collection of Playing Cards., Title devised by cataloger., Date of publication from Keller., and French suits system.
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.
BEIN 2010 1621: Stamps with ms. numbers on versos of leaves., Title supplied by cataloger., A peep show consisting of six engraved leaves, card-backed, hand-colored and cut away., Depicts a three-dimensional printing shop scene including pressmen working at wooden presses, compositors setting type, and a proof reader seated at a table., and Background leaf numbered: 6.
BEIN PLAYING CARDS GEN 1031: Imperfect: 23 cards only (KS-JS, 8S, 5S; KH-JH, 9H-5H; KD, JD; AC-JC, 8C-5C). Hand-drawn color illustrations of cartomanic figures on versos of cards. From the Cary Collection of Playing Cards., Title devised by cataloger., Date of publication from Keller., French suit system., Composition of deck: 52 (A, K, Q, J, 10-2)., and JS, JC: Claude Valentin.
Title supplied by cataloger., A peep show consisting of five engraved leaves, card-backed, hand-colored and cut away., Three-dimensional scene depicting a sugar plantation (probably on Saint-Domingue) with slaves at work and several overseerers; engraved by Martin Engelbrecht?, and First leaf numbered: 1.
