Amused by Jokers am I!: The Cary Collection of Playing Cards and Ephemera

In 1976, I went to Yale College and while I was generally overwhelmed and struggled, it was in one way a very validating experience from the start. Let me be specific.

When I arrived at Yale, the major library, Sterling Library, had a display of playing cards and related ephemera from their Beineke collection. The fact that Yale organized and displayed a major playing card exhibition - for my arrival - greatly contributed to my sense - as a joker playing card collector - of belonging there.

What is the Cary Collection of Playing Cards? Melbert B. Cary, Jr. was a life long collector of playing cards: he amassed a world leading collection of cards and related materials from around the world that goes back to antiquity. Following his death, his wife Mary Flagler Cary donated the collection to the Beineke Library at Yale. The Beineke Library Cary collection goes beyond cards and includes significant ephemera, a word that I am slowly learning to use.

There's much I don't know about this collection and how it works. I'd appreciate information. For instance, it's not clear to me what the relationship is between the Cary Collection of Playing Cards and the Cary Collection business. Anyone?

I bought at a 52 Plus Joker auction a copy of the Index to the Cary Collection.


The Cary Collection Four Volume Index on my Bookshelf

Sometimes I wonder if the four volume set will be updated since the Cary collection has been extended by a major acquisition. In 2017, the Cary Collection using funds from the Mary Flagler Cary Fund acquired some of the playing card collection of Tom and Judy Dawson. Tom and Judy Dawson are royalty in the playing card world due to their creation of the modern version of the Hochman Encyclopedia. It bothers me that Wikipedia does not yet have an article about Tom and Judy.

Tom and Judy Dawson

Tom and Judy Dawson are collectors of antiques and playing card ephemera. They have been collecting for over 40 years. Early on, the Dawsons were influenced by Gene Hochman, an avid collector and playing card enthusiast. Hochman was the author of the original Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards, which was re-written by the Dawsons in 2000. Before his retirement as a Certified Public Accountant, Tom was a senior partner at the accounting organization Deloitte. Judy pursues her interests in the areas of antique collecting, gardening, and home design, in addition to having raised their six children. In addition to caring for their collection, Tom and Judy served as officers of 52 Plus Joker, a club for those interested in antique American and International playing cards. Judy also edited the club's quarterly publication, Clear the Decks, for pretty much forever. Sadly, Tom passed away a few years ago..

Judy Dawson and me at The 2023
52 Plus Joker Annual Convention in Cleveland

Again, please help complete this article with info about the Cary Collection and various contributions to or purchases since it was created.

I corresponded with Beineke in Oct 2024. The curatorial position for the Cary Collection was empty at the time. My question was about their interest in the very earliest jokers (of which I have a significant collection). They did not respond with any interest in the area but they did provide me with:

Here is a link to an overview of the Cary Playing Cards on our website. I am also including two articles that may be of interest from the Yale University Library Gazette. You may wish to search the Gazette for other articles. Here is the overview:

Yale info on the collection they bought from the Dawsons

Scope and Contents

This collection contains playing card-related material collected by Tom and Judy Dawson over 35 years. Its focus is on the playing card industry but also explores the popular culture of playing card imagery and its social impact. A highlight of the Dawsons' collection is early standard American and Canadian playing cards and ephemera related to the cards and their makers. Ephemera includes sample books, billheads, correspondence, advertising materials,...

Dates

1650 - 2014

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Box 33 (born digital): Restricted fragile material. Access copies of digital files may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.

Conditions Governing Use

The Tom and Judy Dawson Collection of Playing Card Ephemera is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Tom and Judy Dawson on the Mary Flagler Cary Fund, 2017.

Arrangement

Organized into six series: I. Advertisements, 1812 - 1996. II. Ephemera, 1650 - 2009. III. Posters and artwork, 1835 - 1999. IV. Instruction and rule booklets and publications, 1861 - 2014. V. Objects, 1750 - 1938. VI. Computer media, undated.

Extent

58.58 Linear Feet (51 boxes + 5 broadside)

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.dawson

General Resources

An Introduction to Playing Cards and Collecting by Veteran Collectors Tom and Judy Dawson Posted by EndersGame Reviewer on October 06, 2020

Tom and Judy Dawson Collection of Playing Card Ephemera. Yale University

Joker collecting resources, websites, books, groups, and museums that I find useful.

The Beineke Cary Collection Supplement

The Art of the Playing Card: Marjorie G. Wynne and A. Hyatt Mayor Source: The Yale University Library Gazette , January 1973, Vol. 47, No. 3 (January 1973), pp. 137-184. Published by: Yale University, acting through the Yale University Library
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Amused by Jokers am I!

Thursday, February 16, 2023

The Cary Collection of Playing Cards and Ephemera