Fournier Museum Playing Cards 1982 – Complete 2-Volume Reference Set

Félix Alfaro Fournier – Original Volume + First Supplement

An impressive and highly specialized two-book reference set devoted to the history of playing cards, compiled by Félix Alfaro Fournier from the celebrated collection of the Fournier Museum.

Published by Heraclio Fournier S.A., Vitoria, Spain, the original volume appeared in 1982 and was conceived as an extensive visual survey of playing-card history, manufacture, design, and geographical development.

The main volume begins with sections devoted to the history and techniques of playing-card manufacture, including traditional processes such as xylography, chalcography, and lithography, before presenting historical decks geographically.

Countries and regions represented include Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Britain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Russia, Scandinavia, North America, Latin America, China, Japan, India, Persia, the Near East, Africa, Oceania, and many others.

The pages are extensively illustrated in color, allowing the reader to examine an extraordinary variety of historical playing cards, including traditional regional patterns, educational and historical decks, transformation cards, commemorative packs, and unusual examples of graphic design.

The second book is the First Supplement to the original Playing Cards – Fournier Museum. As Félix Alfaro Fournier explains in its introduction, the supplement was produced to document decks acquired by the museum since the publication of the first edition in 1982. It also incorporates corrections and revised information relating to entries in the original work.

Together, these two books form a remarkable visual archive of international playing-card history and remain an excellent specialist reference for collectors, researchers, dealers, museums, and enthusiasts of antique cards and printed ephemera.

Both books are preserved together in their original matching Fournier Museum slipcase.

DETAILS

Title: Playing Cards – Fournier Museum
Author: Félix Alfaro Fournier
Publisher: Heraclio Fournier S.A., Vitoria, Spain
Set: 2 books total
Language: English
Binding: Hardcover
Combined parcel weight: Over 2 kg

CONDITION

Both books are in very good, well-preserved vintage condition.
Bindings remain firm and the interiors are clean and well preserved.
The original slipcase is present and shows normal light signs of age and storage, as visible in the photographs.
Please examine the photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.

🪶Collector’s Note:

This complete two-book set brings together Félix Alfaro Fournier’s monumental original reference work and its First Supplement. The first volume presents the historical Fournier Museum collection and an extraordinary international panorama of playing-card history, while the second volume expands the catalogue with acquisitions made by the museum following the publication of the original book, together with corrections and additional information.

With thousands of playing cards reproduced in full color and examples spanning numerous countries, periods, printing techniques, and styles, the set remains an exceptional visual reference for collectors of antique playing cards, tarot, cartomancy, transformation decks, regional patterns, and historical printed games. The presence of both books together with their original Fournier Museum slipcase makes this a particularly attractive reference set for a specialized collection.