EPHEMERA: 'Votes for Women" playing cards.
[ND, but ca. 1916. NP, New York].
Woman suffrage playing cards, a complete deck including the joker. 53 cards (52 + joker) in original decorative box. 2 1/4" x 3 1/2". Cards in fine condition, box has minor tears at top of opening with remnant of revenue tax stamp. A complete deck as issued, and quite unusual thus. The joker has a variation of the image the Herald figure, classically robed carrying a trumpet - the background is a graphic suffixed in green, white and purple. The Ace of Spades has a superb decorative emblem of an American eagle and flag with flag drapery reading "Votes for Women Playing Cards”. Housed in custom-made box.
The colors purple, white and green originated with the Women's social and political union in the British suffrage movement to symbolize loyalty, purity and hope. The use of these colors was transferred to the American scene by Harriet Stanton Blatch (daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton) after returning from her work with Emmeline, Christable and Sylvia Parkhurst, leaders of the militant suffrage movement in England. The use of the colors purple, white and green was concentrated primarily in New York where Blatch set up a Suffrage Association, and in the neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut. As these states had strong suffrage organizations, these colors also became symbolic along with the more traditional American color, gold. Complete decks of cards are rare, although single examples turn up with some frequency. This set, in the original box, clearly has stayed together since issue in 1915-16!
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