Playing Cards the Jigsaw Puzzle Way

 

Playing Cards Item # 931



Hi Puzzlers,

Last night our country elected to keep our 44^th President in office.  The final election brings with it an end to all the political campaigning.  Hurray!  But, I have to admit some of the campaigning was entertaining.  It really reminded me of the card game poker.  Like a poker player, each politician must know when to take a hit, to hold, to bluff or when to fold.  Politics and politicians, like cards and the games played with them, have been around for centuries.

No one knows exactly when or where playing cards originated but many speculate they came from China. This speculation is based in the fact that China was the first to develop paper and because of ancient documentation dating back to the 12th century which describes paper money cards. This deck was comprised of four suits of coins and numbered 1-9. It is believed that the cards not only served as instruments to play the game but as the bet/wager itself.

Cards of this type, dating back to the 8th century, have reportedly been found in Persia and everywhere in the Arabian Peninsula. Scholars believe the cards traveled to Europe with merchants and gypsies during the mid 14th century. The decks consisted of 52-cards, four suits (Swords, Cups, Sticks and Coins) and were numbered 1-10. The royal cards included a King, Deputy King and an Under Deputy. All cards including the royals were decorated with geometric patterns.

European cards were made by craftsmen and ornately designed by hand by trained artists.  

Cards of this time were a luxury only the wealthy could afford. But, by the end on the 14th century advancements in printing techniques made cards more affordable to the general public. The Europeans were the first to put human faces on the royal cards and in doing so the cards characters began to take on more familiar titles such as kings and queens.

During the 15^th century a deck of cards could have as many as 56 cards or as little as 48.  Players from around the country debated for decades about the best number of cards for optimum play.  Finally at the end of the century the 52 card deck was deemed the best number to play with.

The French were the first to begin producing cards with suits that included Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs and Spades.  A typical card deck had three royal cards with a King, Queen and Knave along with the lower numbers from 1-10.  The back of the cards were left plain.  Unfortunately, this made the cards easy to mark and cheat with.  To prevent cheating and to extend the life of the cards many manufactures started to print repeating patterns on the back of the cards.

The reversible royal cards made their debut in Agen, France in 1745. These reversible cards replaced the full length images of Kings, Queens and Knaves with a double headed waist version that did not need to be turned upright. 

In the 1800’s American printers began gearing up to print playing cards on the first mechanized printing press and a new dilemma made itself apparent.  The abbreviated “K” for King would be easily confused with the “Kn” for Knave.  To remedy this The Knave, who played the “Jack of Trumps” in an old English card game called “All Fours”, was renamed “Jack”.

By the 1860’s card playing was making its way to the four corners of the globe.  New games were emerging every day and a number of popular games required an extra trump card.  In 1865 Samuel Hart names this trump card the “Joker”.  The Joker is the all powerful royal that fixes any and all problems.

Let’s hope that the politician have a Joker up their sleeve that can fix any and all problems too!

Happy Puzzling!

Postcard Collecting

Hi Puzzlers,

Take a look at our newest puzzle, Travel Dreams. It is loaded with postcards from across the globe. I just have two words to say about it, “LOVE IT”! Okay, you’re right, I always have tons to say so keeping things brief is hard. But the topic of postcards is so interesting I just have to share it with you. As a child, I was fortunate enough to receive postcards from friends who were on vacation. For me getting anything in the mail was exciting enough but holding that card with the picture of a fabulous location on the front and a hand written message, “just for me” on the back was mesmerizing. I even found the stamps and postmarks intriguing. Images of Yogi Bear hand stamping my Yellow Stone National Park postcard with the help of Ranger Smith and Boo-Boo Bear danced through my head. I stored all my cards in photo albums and would often look at them and imagine that I too was off exploring the world. I learned years later that collecting postcards ranks third among the most collectable items worldwide.

The study and collection of postcards is formally called deltiology. In 1869, Dr. Emanuel Herrmann introduced the postcard concept to the Hungarian government, which would approve his idea by the end of the year. Its approval paved the way for the first printing of the world first common postcard, in 1870. It featured a historical image of the Franco-German War.

Prior to 1893 postcards were meant to serve as advertiser only, not as a souvenir. The first intended souvenir postcard went on sale at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Because it was privately printed it required a two-cent, letter- rate postage, while government printed cards only required a one-cent postage rate. On May 19, 1898 Congress authorize an act which allowed card publishers to receive the same postal rate as the government. All cards printed with "Private Mailing Card Authorized by Act of Congress on May 19, 1898" would receive the special pricing.

This act significantly increases the popularity of the postcard. During this time you could only write on the front of the card. Yes, you had to write over the picture, how unthinkable! Luckily the U. S. Government in 1901 gave publishers the ability to remove the authorization inscription of the 1898 act and allowed them to print the words “Post Card” on the cards undivided back side, leaving the front for the design only. The divided back was formally approved in 1907. It allowed for personal messages to be written on the left side while the right side was reserved for the address.

Postcards are so much fun to collect and apparently they are a good investment as well. Some sites claim that postcards are the number one selling item on eBay, commanding hundreds even thousands of dollars per card! Click here to check out the Uncle Sam Hold to Light Santa Claus postcard selling for $1,100.

But I’m so attached to all of mine I couldn’t bear to part with any of them. I am strictly a collector. All this postcard-collecting banter gets me wondering what the White Mountains Puzzles postcards and puzzle postcards will be worth in 100 years…you never know!

Happy Puzzling!

Oktoberfest Cheers!

Hi Puzzlers,

It’s October! This month associated is with the world’s most famous beer bash, Oktoberfest! The beer festival is held annually in Munich, Bavaria and Germany. It runs from late September to the first weekend in October and is one of the most famous events in Germany. It is also the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending each year. Today Oktoberfest isn’t just for Germans; it is celebrated in different towns and cities across the globe.

Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig held the first festival in Munich. The festival was actually a celebration of Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. The prince wanted the citizen of Munich to attend the festivities and help celebrate his marriage. WOW! This guy would have surely gotten my vote. The celebration was held on the fields in front of the city gate. After the first celebration the fields were renamed Theresienwiese ("Theresa's meadow") in honor of the Crown Princess. Today the locals have further abbreviated the name to "Wies'n".

Prince Ludwig an avid historian, modeled the reception after the ancient Olympic Games. Sporting events of all kinds took place throughout the day and a horse race in the presence of the royal family marked the finale. The horse race soon became the most popular event and in 1811 the first Agricultural Show was added as a way to improve Bavarian agriculture. Sadly, horse racing ended in 1960.

The first carousel and swings were set up in 1818, and in 1881 the city council approved the sale of beer and and the first grilled chicken stand. These small beer stands allowed visitors to quench their thirst and quickly became very popular. With the backing of breweries, landlords set up the first beer tents and halls in 1896.

“Since 1850, the statue of Bavaria has watched the Oktoberfest. This worldly Bavarian patron was first sketched by Leo von Klenze in a classic style and Ludwig Michael Schwanthaler romanticised and "Germanised" the draft. The statue was constructed by Johann Baptist Stiglmaier and Ferdinand von Miller.”

So what does one wear to the world’s biggest party? Well anything goes, but if you want to attend with local flair, guys are going to need to sport a pair of Lederhosen leather shorts and the gals needs to wear the traditional Dirndl dress. Drindles ,when worn properly let others know the wearer’s availability. A bow on the right above the apron means she is taken if it is on the left she is available. Ahh! Courtship made easy! Love it!

Oktoberfest celebrated its 200th birthday in 2010! This event is certainly on my bucket list how about you?

Happy Puzzling!