From the Collection of
Bob & Rhonda Hawes

The word ephemera comes from the combination of the greek words "epi" meaning pertaining to, and "hemeris" meaning day. These two words evolved into "ephemera" -- pertaining to daily life.

Webster's Unabridged dictionary defines ephemera as:

e-phem-er-a (i fem´ ur uh) n., pl. -er-as, -er-ae.

anything short-lived or transitory: the ephemeras of fashion.

Nothing documents history quite like ephemera, little bits and pieces of paper representing everyday life in days gone by. While most collectors seek out one particular type of ephemera -- postcards; tradecards; valentines; tobacco labels; etc. -- our collecting interest spans all of these categories and more as long as there's an image of Playing Cards on them.

We started collecting playing cards in 1986. Soon after we began, we found that our interest in the printer's art extended beyond playing cards, to the use of playing-card imagery in other forms of advertising, post cards, and such items.

On these pages, we offer some examples of works which we enjoy and want to share with you. We welcome your comments

Galleries

• Post Cards
• Calendars
• Advertising Trade Cards
• Billheads and Letterheads
• Valentines
• Cigar Labels

Links

Bob Lancaster's Gallery of Unusual Playing Cards

This site, run by our friend Bob Lancaster, displays images of cards from his collection, and a comprehensive list of links to other playing-card sites on the Web.

Ephemera Society of America

An organization dedicated to the preservation, study and collecting of ephemera.

52 Plus Joker

This organization focuses on the collecting of playing cards and the history of the American deck.

International Playing Card Society

An organization that focuses on the history of playing cards and the games they were played with.

English Playing Card Society

An organization that focuses on English playing cards and card games and their makers.

Other Playing Card Societies

A comprehensive list of contact information for other playing card societies.

More Links

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