TOPIC:

This fine deck of playing cards was produced by C.L. Wüst of Frankfurt for the Dutch market. According to an article written by Miriam van Houten and Joop Muller they were made in 1903 (see "Transvaalkaart"). However, I have recently discovered a piece about the deck in De Sumatra Post, published on 17 Nov 1900, proving that they were made during the war. See below.

Box with portrait of Paul Kruger and the Transvaal coat of arms (front); and an allegorical scene of a Boer on horseback carrying a Transvaal Vierkleur, with an angel emerging from clouds above (back).

Backs of cards with the Transvaal coat of arms.

Artwork by F. Deutman, Amsterdam.

Note: In the Netherlands a Jack or Knave is often referred to as a "Boer". This terminology clearly lent itself well to the production of decks of ABW-related playing cards.


SPADES
Ace: Goudmÿn bÿ Johannesburg / Het Commando der Boeren
King: P.A. Cronjé – Kommandant
Queen: Kaffervrouw
Jack/Boer: Transvaalsche Boer

HEARTS
Ace: Het Huis van Staatspresident Kruger te Pretoria / De Protestantsche Kerk te Pretoria / Gouvernements Gebouw
King: Paul Kruger / Staatspresident, Transvaal
Queen: Zoeloevrouw
Jack/Boer: Bereden Politie – Transvaal

CLUBS
Ace: Vertrek der Boeren naar de Grenzen / Slag bij Ladysmith
King: J.P. Joubert – Denk Generaal
Queen: Matabelevrouw
Jack/Boer: Bereden Politie – Oranje Vrijstaat

DIAMONDS
Ace: Het Huis van President Stein te Bloemfontein / Oranje Vrijstaat – Marktplein te Bloemfontein
King: M.T. Stein / President, Oranje Vrijstaat
Queen: Zwasievrouw
Jack/Boer: Artillerist, Transvaal
























De Sumatra Post, 17th November 1900

Transvaal-speelkaarten.
De nijverheid weet van de gebeurtenissen die de algemeene aandacht trekken, telkens partij te trekken voor hare voortbrengseelen. Zoo zijn nu speelkaarten in den handel gebracht, die aan den Zuidafrikaanschen oorlog haar teekeningen ontleenen. De “heeren” zijn portetten van de staatshoofden en generals, de “Vrouwen” afbeeldingen van kafferinnen, enz., de “Boeren” geven nu inderdaad weder wat de naam aanduidt, en de “azen” geven kijkjes te Pretoria, Bloemfontein, slagvelden, enz. De teekeningen zijn door den Amsterdammer F. Deutman vervaardigd, ook van het etui. De uitvoering is geschied in de bekende fabriek van C.L. Würst, te Frankfort a. M.

Transvaal playing cards.
Industry knows how to take advantage of events that attract general attention for its products. For example, playing cards have now been brought into circulation that derive their designs from the South African war. The "heeren" are portraits of heads of state and generals, the "vrouwen" are images of “Kafferinnen”, etc., the “Boeren” [Knaves] now actually reflect what the name indicates, and the "aces" provide glimpses of Pretoria, Bloemfontein, battlefields, etc. The drawings were executed by the Amsterdammer F. Deutman; also the box. The production was done at the well-known factory of C.L. Würst, in Frankfurt a. M.




Boer War Playing Cards

Neville,

These have been fascinating to see I am was not aware these things existed.

Many thanks
David

This scarce set of cards pre-dates that shown above (by four or five months), and was produced for the mineral water company "Victoria-Bron", Oberlahnstein. Lahnstein is a town on the River Rheine, 50 miles west of Frankfurt. Although the spring was in Germany, "Victoria-Bron" was Dutch-owned, with head-offices in Amsterdam.

The deck was described in Nieuwe Koerier (28/07/1900), and Leeuwarder Courant (24/08/1900):

Nieuwe Speelkaarten.
Door de "Maatschappij tot Exploitatatie van de Victoria-bron", te Oberlahnstein, gevestigd te Amsterdam, worden als veclamemiddel in den handel gebracht Nederlandsche speelkaarten, welke speciaal voor genoemde Maatschappij vervaardigd en gedesponeerd zijn.
Als bijzonderheid declen wij daarbij mede dat de Koningen en de Koninginnen worden voorgesteld door leden van Ons Vorstenhuis, en de Boeren door de heeren Kruger, Joubert, Steyn en Reitz.
Deze speelkaarten zijn in Holland vervaardigd naar te teekening van den heer G. Van Caspel, gedrukt door de stoomdrukkerij Senefelder, en de levering is opgedragen aan de firma N.J. Boon, alhier [Amsterdam].

New Playing Cards.
The "Victoria-Bron [Victoria Spring] Exploitation Company”, in Oberlahnstein, incorporated in Amsterdam, is marketing Dutch playing cards as an advertising medium, which were specially manufactured and registered for the aforementioned Company.
As a special feature, we would like to add that the Kings and Queens are represented by members of Our Royal House, and the Boers [Jacks] by Messrs. Kruger, Joubert, Steyn and Reitz.
These playing cards were manufactured in Holland according to the design of Mr. G. Van Caspel, printed by the steam-printer Senefelder, and distribution was entrusted to the firm N.J. Boon, Amsterdam.

The set cost 0.40 Dutch Guilder.

The Jacks depict "PAUL KRUGER", "STEYN", "JOUBERT" and "REITZ"; the Ace of Spades, the Arms of the Transvaal; and the Ace of Clubs, the Arms of the OVS. The Kings and Queens represent monarchs of the Netherlands, stretching back to William the Silent (coincidentally, my 11x great grandfather).

SEE: ANOTHER MYSTERY SOLVED!






















Boer War Playing Cards

Probably the rarest deck of cards to come out of the Anglo-Boer War is this block-printed set by Herbert Melville Guest, proprietor of the Klerksdorp Mining Record.

H.M. Guest's son, Colonel the Hon. Sir Lucas Guest, wrote about the history of these cards in a letter dated 14 October 1966.

H.M. Guest of Klerksdorp was my father. He came to Grahamstown, South Africa, with his parents from Kidderminster a hundred years ago last February [1966]. He was owner and editor of the Klerksdorp Mining Record, the only paper in the town. On the outbreak of the South African War he left Klerksdorp and returned as Reuter’s Agent in 1901. The Guerilla warfare was at its height on his return. Mails were few and irregular and imported goods of any sort unobtainable. Considerable forces were operating in the district under Lord Methuen (incidentally I was subaltern on his column). There was considerable demand for postcards, stationery and playing cards; but stocks were unobtainable. Father accordingly used his ingenuity, made the blocks with, I think, the help of an amateur carver friend, and printed the cards.

Although the Kings and Queens are clearly meant to be Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, there have been questions regarding the identity of the Knaves. William Penn, the foremost collector of playing cards in the 1950s, wrote: "As for the subject of the Knave, this could have been meant for the Prince of Wales but if so, I only hope he never saw it". The unusual joker, printed with skull-and-crossbones and the words "No Joker", has also been discussed, with some suggesting that this was a reflection on the fact that warfare is no joke, rather a bringer of death and destruction.

Back of each card printed with the text: "Printed by H.M. Guest, Klerksdorp, Transvaal, Feb., 1901, during Anglo-Boer War".

Uneven discolouration of cards due to mixed quality of stock available under war conditions.

See Tilley, R., "Playing Cards", London 1967, pp. 114 & 115.













Ex Dudley Ollis Collection.



The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards have an example of this deck in their collection, of which they write:

Boer War Playing Cards

Possibly the earliest cards known to have been printed in South Africa, this rare pack was recently purchased at auction (April 2018) and added to the collection.

Unusually, the printer’s name appears on the reverse of every card together with the date. The full inscription reads “Printed by H.M. Guest, Klerksdorp, Trans-vaal, Feb, 1901, during Anglo-Boer War”.

Simple yet striking images of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra appear on all the Kings and Queens, respectively. The Joker is suitably macabre for wartime – a skull and crossbones with the text “No Joker”.

All in all, a remarkable early 20th century pack.

The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards


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The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards produced two decks for the Anglo-Boer War. These had backs featuring a City Imperial Volunteer (1900), and the figure of "Peace" (1902).

The 1900 deck below remains unopened, retaining its original paper tax-wrapper and sample card, the latter rubber-stamped "THIS CARD DOES NOT BELONG TO THE PACK". The ace of spades is from a second pack.

A City Imperial Volunteer, with "The City of London’s Old and New Supporters", and St Paul’s Cathedral in the background. Designed by Mr Cosmo Crump.















SEE: The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards

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These have been fascinating to see, Neville. Many thanks for your excellent images.