What is Congress 606? Congress 606 was the original luxury brand of playing cards. Launched in 1881 as part of the founding of the US Playing Card Company (called Russell & Morgan back then), Congress cards had beautiful artwork, gold edges, and sweet leather boxes. They were the conspicuously elite expensive brand of playing cards.
What is a Matching Joker? A matching joker (or named joker) means that the joker image matches the design on the back of the cards. For example, here is the back and the joker of the Congress 606 Rookwood joker from 1899:
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| Rookwood Congress Joker and Back Design |
These matching jokers for the Congress card brand were made from 1898 to 1904. Congress cards used the Dundreary joker before the matching jokers. They followed the matching jokers with the US Capitol joker (see below for an example). Read about the history of the Congress jokers .
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Dundreary 1882-1898 | Matching 1898-1904 | Capitol 1904 Onwards
Congress Brand Joker Styles |
From 1898 to 1904, Congress published 41 different images on matching jokers. I have collected 37 of them so far.
One more thing. When I display the Ace of Spades (like on the picture below), this means I have the entire deck. If I just show the joker front and back, that's all I have (the front is a photocopy). After looking through these decks, there is info below about such things as variations, the way I define the categories, and trading or buying. Lets take a look...
Anticipation - The artwork for Anticipation is based om a painting by
Eugenio Zampighi titled: "Opening the Wine". The joker is the 3rd category of matching jokers.
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| Anticipation - 1902 |
Berenice - Berenice is a classic mythological theme. The artwork comes from a painting called Berenice by a Spanish painter, Luis Ricardo Falero in 1886. It's a mythological theme with a 1st category joker.
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| Berenice - 1902 |
When I look at Berenice, I'm surprised by how explicit (ie full frontal nudity) it is. This was published in the Victorian Era, in British or worldwide terms. It was the Gilded Age in American history (it was also the cowboy era but that is another whole topic). My vision of both these historical eras were that they were quite prudent but there is Berenice holding her own breast in what looks to be an unambiguously sexual gesture. It's surprising to me that such a risque image was used at that time. BTW, when Congress republished Berenice (but with Capitol Jokers) in 1920, 1920, and 1922-24, she was draped for modestly.
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| Berenice - Draped for this 1920 Publication |
The Bridge - This is a peaceful landscape scene. I have only the joker and so far, I don't know the source of the art work. It could be a photograph in the style of the Pictorial photography movement (taking photos that echoed the traditional painting styles). Category 2 joker.
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| The Bridge - Congress - 1902 |
Delft - This is a typically Dutch scene and I think the artwork is from a Belgian, Frantz Charlet 1862–1928. It is a first category joker.
Delft is one the three (below) typical Dutch or Belgian scenes. I think all the artwork is from the Belgian, Frantz Charlet 1862–1928
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Mill, Rotterdam, Delft - Dutch themed Congress Decks
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Diana - The Goddess of the Hunt is a popular mythological theme. Congress (or their customers) liked it so much that they had published seven versions of it by 2023. Below are the two variations of Diana with matching jokers published in 1901 and 1902. Notice that the 1901 has a Gen 1 joker (with the word joker) and the 1902 version in Gen 2 since it doesn't say joker. I added the third row which is a deck published 1914-23 to illustrate how some decks from the Matching Joker era were frequently republished in the Capitol Joker era. The artwork is derived from a French artist: Louis Justin Maurice Perrey.
Empress Josephine - Josephine was the wife of Napoleon who is featured on another Congress Matching deck. There are a number of famous historical figures where the couple has a pair of decks. Empress Josephine and Napoleon, George and Martha Washington, and the Prince and Princess of Wales. The artwork for Josephine and Napoleon is from Zéphirin Félix Jean Marius Belliard, a French artist.
Fishers Return - I have three of these jokers. One is gray-backed with a Gen 1 joker: two with a coper colored-back and a Gen 2 joker. But I don't have any decks. Trading Note: If you happen to have a Fishers Return deck but no joker, there is exciting opportunity here. Ideally, you'd have two joker-less decks and we could do a swap of one of my jokers to complete your deck in exchange for your extra deck. But there are lots of opportunities and I'm all for reuniting jokers with their deck. The original artwork for Fishers Return is by Cornelis Ploos van Amstel and Cornelis Brouwer. The theme is American scenery. The Congress Guy lists both of these decks as 1900-1905 but that feels wrong to me since these are Category 1 and 2 matching jokers.
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Fishers Return Jokers
Category 1 & 2 |
George Washington - The George Washington deck was published 1901-04 and like so many of the images that we see of George Washington, was based on the Athenaeum portrait by Gilbert Stuart. It's in the theme of portraits of royalty and American leaders and has a Category 1 joker. They original portraits are in the National Portrait Gallery, on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. (Credit to Steve Bacon for these insights).
Good Night - This cutey is one of my favorites. It's an Americana and the artist might be Sir John Everett Millais. Trading Opportunity. I have a deck and I have an extra joker that matches the deck. I have another Good Night deck with a yellow back that does not have a joker. Both my jokers are Gen 1. Note that my Good Night girl is a brunette on a green rug. My extra joker is nearly the same except the drapery is lightly different and the rug has gold threads in it, not white. There is also a blond version of this girl. She's in the Americana section. Congress Guy dates all of mine from 1900-1908.
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| Good Night |
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| Good Night: Slight Variations: Drapery and Rug Threads |
Holly - This portrait of this chic lady in winter is of
Alice Warder Garrett. The painting is by Alice Pike Barney. But here's the problem. The painting was done in 1909 but this deck on CongressGuy's site is 1903. However, in my googling (image searching) of this imagery, I have been pointed towards an image of
Minnie Geddings Cox of the Iandianola Affair. If this were the basis for the image, it would open up a very interesting set of questions about how Congress picked the images....
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| Holly Congress 606 Joker |
Could this image of
Minnie Cox be the basis for the Holly imagery for Congress?
The Hunt - The art is by Matthew Andrew Daly, x Rookwood
Kaatje - Kaatje is a girl's name in Dutch. I guess someone was inspired by her while getting the picture for the
Rotterdam Delft. I've heard that the artwork is by Frantz Charlet but I haven't yet found the original painting. It's part of the Dutch group and has a 3rd category matching style joker. |
| Kaatche |
King Edward VII of England - This is obviously part of the royal portraits group. The picture is by Sir Luke Fildes for the Coronation 1902. It's a third category style joker
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| King Edward VII |
Kite Time Americana. The art work is by Frantz Charlet, The deck is copyright 1903. Frantz Charlet (1862–1928) was a Belgian painter, etcher, and lithographer. (thanks to Steven Bacon of Ruby Lane for the artist info). Trading opp: I have three identical copies of this joker but no deck.
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| Kite Time by Frantz Charlet |
Martha Washington - She is one of the American political decks. The images of her and her husband are derived from the Athenaeum portraits by Gilbert Stuart. Steven Bacon, of Two for His Heels on RubyLane and a frequent writer for 52 Plus Joker, provided me with this and other info. Her joker is the first category style
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Martha Washington
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The Mill - Yes this is another of the Dutch decks.
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| The Mill 1898 |
The Minuet- I have several copies of the Minuet Joker and today, I purchased finally a copy of the full deck. I can't wait for it to arrive. |
The Minuet - Congress 606 (joker only)
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Mistletoe 1903. Americana. The artwork appears to be a hand-tinted portrait of actress Billie Burke, a "fac-similes". In addition to the deck, I have a joker which has a red border on the back.
Moon Fairy - This mythological theme is one of my favorites. I have a whole joker section on
Crescent Moon jokers. This Moon Fairy joker has the word
joker. There is another version that you can see below in the category 2 matching jokers that does not have the word
joker. She is a mythological one kept in the
sitting on the moon section of the collection. The artwork is taken by the Fairy on the Moon by a German artist, Hermann Kaulbach, 1891. I have two identical Moon Fairy decks with category 2 jokers plus a Gen 1 joker with a different color back.
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| Moon Fairy 1899 |
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| Moon Fairy Joker |
Moorish. This might be my favorite of all of the matching decks! The others were just near-favorites or "one of my favorites".
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| Congress 606 Moorish Joker |
Music Hath Charms. The artwork is by Eugenio Zampighi whose art is also on
Anticipation. Since he is playing a wind instrument, he is in the joker collection in the
music section, wind subsection. This name - Music Hath Charms - is part of a quotation from a play be William Congreve (1670-1629) called
The Mourning Bride: "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast. To soften rocks, or bend the knotted oak." A musical comedy film named
Music Hath Its Charms was produced in 1935 in Britain.
Naples Joker. The artwork is based on Henry Sumner Watson (NY,NJ,1868-1933) watercolor painting named
Street Vendor and Children. Watson was an illustrator of fish and game, wildlife, hunting and fishing and an editor at Field and Stream.
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Naples Congress 606
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Here's the original watercolor for Naples:
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| Street Vendor and Children by Henry Sumner |
Napoleon Bonaparte - He was later known by his regal name Napoleon I. He was Emperor of the French from 18 May 1804 until his first abdication in 1814. There's a lot of history about Napoleon but the most relevant point here is that he had an intense stormy relationship with his wife Josephine.
The Peaceful Vale - Another of the four Dutch Congress decks.
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| The Peaceful Vale Congress 606 |
Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales- The Prince of Wales is a colorized photo by Lafayette in 1896. The Princess of Wales is based on a colorized photo by W. & D. Downey in 1901.
Rookwood. Category 1 (with the word
joker) joker and deck. There is also the Rookwood G2 without the word
joker which you can see when you read further. "Rookwood" is the name of a pottery company based in Cincinnati OH, a city where the US Playing Card Company was also located. The Rookwood Pottery Company had a fascination with the portrayal of the American Indian. A book was written on the topic: "It involves the interplay of a female entrepreneur, her business manager and premier artists and educators–all entwined in the nation’s policies that reflect a contradictory attitude of exploitation and sympathy toward the first Americans. In the end, masterpieces of art pottery depicting noble Indians were created.” This quote is from
the State House website promoting and selling the book.
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| Rookwood Congress 606 - 1899 |
Rotterdam Delft- Another of the four Dutch Congress decks.
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| Rotterdam Delft |
Rube - The artwork is by Nicholas Sipe. It is called a "Deacon's Visit to Town" and was widely used as a lithograph postcard a few years later. I think this artwork is the equal of the great Saturday Evening Post illustrations by Norman Rockwell. In case you don't know: Rube is an old fashioned derogatory term for an uneducated or unsophisticated person from a rural area, akin to a "bumpkin" or "yokel".
Sitting Bull - All of the artwork on Congress cards had some relationship or origin with the Rockwell studios. Both were located in Cincinnatti and at least one art director moved from Rockwell to the US Playing Card Company. I'm struck by the dignity and respect with which these characters are portrayed. I think it was quite uncommon in that era when the Native Indians were still being shunned and pushed around.
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| Sitting Bull Joker - 1901 |
Spinning Wheel and Priscilla. The image on Priscilla and Spinning Wheel seems to be identical. But the corner index on Priscilla is bolder and they have different names. The backs also have the same images but the colors on the lady's dress and the table cloth are reversed. And the back border is slightly different. Weird? This image seems to be an illustration roughly based on a painting by Elizabeth Jane Gardner (1880). The scene portrays the moment John Alden proposes to Priscilla on behalf of his friend, Captain Miles Standish, to which she famously replies with her own romantic interest in John. It was a popular often recreated image.
Spring - 1903. Americana. In addition to the deck, I have another Spring joker.
Tambourine - Google image reports that this image is a reproduction of "The Harem Favorite," a painting by Austrian-French artist artist Rudolf Ernst (1854–1932), known for his Orientalist scenes. I see how the styles are similar but I'm not really convinced.
Toboggan (entire deck). Americana. AI reports that the artist of this piece is M.F. Tobin. It was created as a late-19th-century Victorian chromolithograph advertisement titled "A Girl on a Toboggan Sledding Down Hill" for A. L. Foster & Co. An original print of this seasonal artwork is preserved in the permanent historical collections of the National Museum of American History. ED - I'll be chasing it down to see if this appears true to this human's eyes.
Yacht - The artist of the yacht seems unkowable but the boat type is clear: a traditional gaff-rigged sloop. The key features: Single Mast: It possesses only one primary mast. Gaff Rig: The trapezoidal mainsail is supported at the top by a diagonal spar called a gaff. Headsails: It flies foresails (jibs) extending from the single mast forward to the bow.
The Matching Jokers that I most want:
Chameleon, Clown, The Cavalier, Holland, and Spinning Wheel (facing left, not right).
I'd also really like to get the decks for matching jokers that I'm missing.
If you have any of these as decks or as single jokers, contact me. thanks. I have tradeable items. john@edelson.info
I'd be interested in getting help figuring out the art sources for all the ones that I haven't yet figured out plus corrections on any where I might be wrong.
I'd like to acquire some Initial Congress cards or decks.
I'm mostly avoiding any modern (eg narrow) Congress decks.
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If you are interested in Congress cards, here are incredible resources by wonderful meticulous collectors and researchers:
Congress Guy's website is an amazing authoritative source on Congress 606 decks.
Matt Schacht's list with images of all of the Congress Matching Jokers
The World of Playing Cards article on Congress Cards by Simon Wintle
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Variations - The count is complicated since there are a number of variations based on the front or the back. For instance, look at the spinning wheel joker. Notice that there are three different versions of it:
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| Same image but three different decks and jokers |
In some cases (ie above), there are variations on the front of the joker. The first one has the word joker above the image. The joker above on the far right is called Priscilla rather than Spinning Wheel. So while there is one image - Spinning Wheel - three different variations. On the back (below), there are differences in the color of the dress, the ladies' hair color, the foliage visible through the window, the scale of the image, and in the pattern of the frame around the image.
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Three Different Spinning Wheel Decks with Matching Jokers
All these images are from my collection. |
Overall, there are 56 different variations of Congress 606 decks with matching jokers.
Three Categories of Matching Jokers. I categorize the Congress 606 matching jokers in three categories based entirely on joker style.
Category 1 - These have the word Joker and the image is always in an oval.
Category 2 - The word Joker is not there and the frame is unadorned, either oval or rectangular.
Category 3 - The oval and rectangular shapes are trimmed with a fancy frame.
I am updating and reorganizing my master list of the Congress 606 Matching decks in spreadsheet format. Stay tuned...
Congress 606 Matching Joker Themes
I think there are a few interesting themes of Congress cards. My favorite theme might be the exotic Mediterranean North African imagery of which I have Oasis, Moorish, Tambourine, and Naples. Are they all by the same artist? (Oasis has a Capitol joker, not a matching joker but I include here because I like it so much )
Here are the 41 Matching jokers organized by theme.
Americana people scenes: Spinning Wheel (and Priscilla), Rube, Knuckles Down, Mistletoe, Good Night, Music Hath It's Charms, and Toboggin
American Scenery: The Mill, Fishers Return, The Bridge, and The Peaceful Vale
Dutch / Belgian: Delft, Rotterdam Delft, Kaatje, and Kite Time
English Country Life: Yacht, the Hunt, The Minuet,
Exotic Mediterranean North African imagery: Anticipation, Oasis, Moorish, Tambourine, and Naples
Greek Mythology: Diana, Berniece, and Moon Fairy. Perhaps Spring
Native Americans: Rookwood and Sitting Bull
Presidents and Royalty: George Washington, Martha Washington, King Edward VII, Napoleon, Empress Josephine, Prince of Wales, and Princess of Wales
Few More Points...
Notice that my three categories of matching jokers is different than CongressGuy's categories. He considers the whole deck and makes distinctions largely based on the format of ace of spades in the deck. I consider only the jokers.
Matching Jokers from other Brands: I learned from Matt Schacht that there were two other brands that had matching jokers which so far, I have not focused on collecting:
Parker Bros Rembrandts (made by SPCC)
SPCC Peerless.
Another joker-collecting effort by me is to get all the jokers from the USPCC Joker Poster. Plus I'm looking at Transformation decks and Frankendecks (my favorite one is made up of wide vintage Congress Cards!).
Art Rights and Royalty. I'm very curious about how the rights for the fancy proprietary artwork on the back of the decks of cards were acquired for use. Were royalties paid? Anyone know anything about this?
