Hawaiian Souvenir Playing Cards

Collection

Identifier: MSSP_10125

Staff Only
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Content Description

The Hawaiian Souvenir Playing Cards Collection consists of one deck of commercially printed playing cards published by the Honolulu-based Wall, Nichols Co., Ltd, and copyrighted by the U.S. Playing Card Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. The copyright was registered in 1901, and this was a later version published in about 1910 of the Hawaiian Souvenir Playing Cards. The deck includes the traditional 52 cards in addition to a Joker and an information card. Each of the playing cards includes an image in the center of the card related to the culture, business, politics, buildings, people, or natural environment of Hawaii. Each of the four Kings and Queens picture historical Kings and Queens of Hawaii, and the Jack of Spades depicts famous Hawaiian swimmer and surfer Duke Kahanamoku. Issued at a time when Hawaii was a colonial territory of the United States, many images emphasize the exotic nature of Hawaiian people and Hawaiian culture and seek to entice tourism from the mainland United States.

Dates

Creation: c. 1910

Creator

U.S. Playing Card Co. (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Biographical / Historical

Card playing has a long history in the United States with the first American playing card manufacturers dating probably to the early nineteenth century. The U.S. Playing Card Co. rose to prominence after 1880 and printed many well-known and popular brands of playing cards including the Bicycle brand. The company also printed themed decks of cards, like the Hawaiian Souvenir Playing Cards, to advertise specific places or topics.