| Suit System: | F |
| Recommended Name: | the Hamburg pattern. |
Formerly labelled F-1.51 and XP7 (XP for eXpatriate Paris). A Leipzig list of 1825 also calls a different pattern by the same name. The name indicates a probable place of origin, not a region of use.
Early fine examples were made by the Suhr family (1814-18, 1818-28) in Hamburg, but owing nothing to P.O. Runge's 1809-10 unpublished re-working of the Paris pattern. Further examples were made in other parts of Germany and in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, France and Belgium where Turnhout sample books of c.1887 still included them as 'Cartes Allemandes'.
Examples vary greatly in style and design, unlike the rigid, easily recognisable,
successor, the North German pattern [IPCS #59]. Early examples preserve all the essential
features of the early Paris pattern, except one: J
holds an elaborate sword-hilt instead of the loop of ribbon from which his 'shield'
was suspended. As compared with other patterns of the Paris progeny, the essential
distinctive differences are shown by K
and K
(which also recur in the North German pattern): K
holds the top frame of a harp, which usually has a winged head,
K holds the round
top of a shield, which often has a saw-tooth decoration. In early examples, there
is an eagle's head (a vestige of the Paris pattern) beneath the hilt of the sword
held by K
;
this feature occurs in no other XP pattern. There is no Standard set of Queens,
but usually all wear small crowns or head-dresses, and hold flowers. In early
examples the Standard arrangement is that Q
holds a rose, Q
(in profile) a tulip, Q
a carnation, and Q
a sunflower. All Jacks hold halberds. J
J and
J
display other features of the prototype: J
has one hand on his cloak-edge (or on his breast); J
grasps a sword below the hilt; J
usually has his face in profile looking sideways over his shoulder. The horizontal
line dividing the courts is sometimes interrupted by a space containing the maker's
name.
Some makers produced more than one version of this pattern. In one of Lattmann's
of Goslar, K
wears armour and is not in profile. Another Lattmann design, with less stereotyped
courts, was also published by Erve Wijsmuller of Amsterdam. A very florid version
by Wüst of Frankfurt was named 'Leipziger'. Tiedemann of Rostock, and Culemann of
Hannover, made versions on elongated cards with the suit-signs edged in black.
A version by Traugott Knaut of Weimar has a lion-mask on the shoulder of
K,
and J wearing a turban.
King Queen Jack and numerals. Earlier packs have 52 cards (for Whist); shortened
packs are common. Scenic or decorated Aces are uncommon. Sometimes used for
Grabuge (all ) packs.
Industrie Comptoir c.1825, and Schultze c.1849 (Leipzig); Müller c.1840 (Berlin); Mayrhofer c.1880 (Augsburg); Sommer & Seupke c.1850 (Dresden); Grassau & Sohn c.1840-50 (Braunschweig); Niebuhr c.1880 (Hamburg), possibly by Wüst; Herrl c.1840, Pichlera c.1852, Holdhaus c.1860, and Titze & Schinkay 1861 (Austria); Gassmann 1850-75, Hurter c.1860, Müller c.1860 (Switzerland); Niclas von Bergen 1832, Reuterdahl, Lincke, Stenfeld & Söderbäck (Sweden); Combette c.1840 (Paris); Mesmaekers, and Van Genechten c.1887 (Turnhout).
Catalogues: Schweizer Spielkarten (Zürich, 1978); Cary collection (Yale, 1981); Bube Dame König (Berlin, 1984); Hamburgische Spielkarten (Hamburg, 1984); All Cards on the Table (Leinfelden, 1990); Spielkarten (Munich, 1991); Trumpf på Hand (Stockholm, 1993).
| Top three rows: Cornelius Suhr, Hamburg 1814-18; rows 4&5: 'Leipziger' cards, C.L. Wüst, Frankfurt a/M c.1860; row 6: 24-card Sjavs pack for Denmark, F.A.Lattmann, Goslar c.1920. (Suhr & Lattmann cards collection John Berry; Wüst cards former collection Sylvia Mann). |
| The International Playing-Card Society | 7/1996 JB |