“BEGGAR’S OPERA” ON CARDS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 177, 14 April 1923, Page 4

“BEGGAR’S OPERA” ON CARDS

RARE PACKS IN THE GUILDHALL. In tho corridor leading to the Guildhall Library in London is u valuable collection of playing cards of English, French, Italian, and Spanish make. They are (says tho “Dailv' News”) a few from the large collection made by Mr. N. D. Phillips, a former Master of the Playing Card Makers’ Company. The English musical cards, printed about 1730, are particularly interesting at this time, for engraved on the cards are the words and. music of “The Beggar’s Opera,” written by T. Gay, and produced in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in 1728. There are four or five of these unique cards in the case, and the rest were shown to a “Daily News” representative by an official of tho Guilhal* Library,. “Our pack is imperfect,” he said, “for it consists of only 50 cards ; the three and four of diamonds being missing. The suit cards, numerals, and court cards are 'shown in small card faces on the left hand of the top corner of the card, the suit marks being tn rod and black. “The rest of the card face is filled at tho top with the tune, the name of the chorus, and by whom it is sung. In the centre are the words, and bedow, on most of the cards, is the music for the flute part.” Thero is also in the collection a fine set of English satirical cards relating to tho South Sea Bubble of 1720 There are four lines of satire on each card.

In the case aro cards printed on horn, and. the library possesses, some playing cards printed on fish skin.