Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-30
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ner of the picture, contains a sun dial,
in the center of which is a Phrygian
cap. The other, the deuce of clubs, is
in the lower part of the picture and
contains the opening words of a his
tory of the republic.
The expert Partisan cardmakers not
only dwelt in this manner on serious
things and tried hard to instruct the
people, but they also did their best tc
amuse them. A good example of the
cards designed for this purpose may
be seen at the Carnavelet museum.
They contain questions and answers:
Thus the king of hearts asks, do you
wish TO take q journey like Cythera ?"
to which the queen of the, same suit
promptly replies-"Yes, if 1 can go
all the way over meadow land"
The Revolution had it's bards, who
praised it gloriously on playing cards,
but it also had it's calumniators who
used the same weapon for the purpose
of bringing it into ridicule. Thus, for
example, in the upper part of our pic
ture is card without any degree, but
which is designed to represent Mira
beau under the aspect of king of
hearts. In the following couplet is a
description of him which is not very
flattering:
A monster during his life a god since his
DEATH
Such is the fokleness of men and of fate.
Tho erraateet. naiptarc of Ftba baoin-
ming of the nineteenth century, even
artists of the caliber of David, did not
disdan to make engravings which
served as models for new playing
cards.
An Attempt at Art
In 1918 an amateur, M. Houbigant,
conceived the idea of making cards
which would be at once highly artistic
and acceptable to the numerous per-
sons who were interested in the nota-
BILE events of French history. Near the
middle of the accompanying picture
Marguerite of Valois appears as the
queen of clubs, and Francis I as the
king of the same suit. These cards,
which were fashioned with unusual
skill, won the approval of the court
and were used for the first time during
the festival which was given in honor
of the marriage of the Due de Berri
The game of cards which was issued
in 1880 under the name of "the game
of the barrcades" was designed to
perpetuate the glory of Louis Philippe,
the Citizen King, and to cast odium on
Charles X, the fallen monarch. In this
game, according to an old custom, the
hero is represented by the king of
hearts; the good king is portrayed on
horseback and uttering these words:
Let us guard the empire, let us stand
up manfully for our rights!" In these
cards, by the way, is an allusion to
Saint-Simonianism, the great religious
movement which was then attracting
many persons. A professor of this
new faith is represented as lowering
Come, my dear brother, let us divide
all earthly goods!" The knave of
spades portrays a despairing Carlist,
who cries: alas, our well beloved does
not return." In our picture this card
is fully shown.
To satisfy the French craving for
wit and humor a shrewd publisher
issued about 1918 funny cards contain
ing such jokes and humorous pictures
of life as were seen in theaters and
appeared in comic journals. In our
picture are two of these funny cards.
and the reader can judge from them
what the others We're like. One rep
resents a ball in the English fashion,
and this caricature evidently pleased
the Anglomaniacs, and also, for such
was the fashion at that time. enabled
them to turn into ridicule something
that they admired very much. The
second caricature is quite as char
acteristic, for i'm it are seen the fam
Gus "Draisian" velocipedes which
We're then beginning to attract the at
tention of the public,
These primitive vehicles became
very popular and 1t is to be hoped
that the ingenious work of M. dale
mayne which is described here will
meet with similar favor from the
public.
In this book there is useful informa-
tion for every one, for the author COM
ments ON the history of France and the
countkies in a manner
which is decidedly attractive.