Crescent Moon Jokers

I have a charming set of decks where the jokers feature ladies sitting on the crescent moon. They're known as Moon Fairies. Let's start by taking a close look at three decks published in the late 1800s that I have where the joker features a lady sitting on the moon.  

Three Moon Fairy Decks from the late 1800s

Here is a close-up of the National Card Company NU11 joker from 1886.

Moon Fairy, National Card Co
NU11 Crescent #44 1886

 National Deck with Cat Back
NU11 Crescent #44

As background on my collection, these Moon Fairies are a subsection inside the sitting section of my joker collection. Specifically, they are a subsubsection inside the "sitting sideways" subsection.

Another very old favorite of mine is my Congress Moon Fairy Joker, a venerable piece of American card and joker history. This Moon Fairy joker was one of the first "matching" Congress decks (which means the joker matched the back of the deck, a pattern they used 1899-1904) published by  USPC. I believe it dates from 1899 

Congress Moon Fairy Joker 

I also have two decks with a slightly later version of this Congress joker distinguished by not having the word Joker on the joker.  

Two Congress Moon Fairy Joker Decks
Generation 2 Jokers, ie Doesn't say "Joker"

The Moon Fairy deck (and hence the 52PlusJoker logo) is based on an 1891 painting by the German Herman Kaulbach.

Moon Fairy by Herman Kaulbach, 1891

Click to know more about the source art of the Congress Matching Mythological Jokers or about   about Congress Matching Jokers generally? Here's the back of my first Moon Fairy joker.

But the oldest antique moon fairy joker that I know about is my 1885 joker PU1 Tip-Top #350 by Standard Playing Cards from my collection.

PU1 TIP-TOP #350, Philadelphia, c1885

That's my set of 1800s moon fairy jokers. Very cool, right? Once again:

One of my most beautiful modern jokers and decks is the one designed by Elettra Deganello for the 2024 Club Deck of the 52 Plus Joker Club.

Elettra Deganello for the 2024 Club Deck of the 52 Plus Joker Club.

Elettra Deganello, Card Designer Extraordinaire with a fanboy (me!) at the 2024 52Plus Conference

One of the many reasons that this deck and joker are so treasured is because of how it echoes the 52 Plus Joker logo of a Crescent moon joker holding a joker wand.  In the January 2019 issue of Card Culture #48 (on Page 11), our Editor-in-Chief and President Lee Asher explains the humble origins of the logo of the 52 Plus Joker Club and how Judy Dawson picked it and Alex Chin updated the artwork from these jokers (below).

I have these two extremely old jokers, one of which is the model for the 52 Plus Joker logo.

Steamboat, Standard Playing Cards,
Crescent Playing Cards, 1900 SU15

Betty Boop has her own Betty Boop article on this blog. Here she is on a crescent moon.

Betty Boop on the Moon

I call this moon rider: Witchie.

This NuVue crescent moon joker was one that I encountered a lot when I started collecting back in the 1970s. I think it was because it was the standard joker on most airline playing card decks (which were free to passengers back then) and so I collected them often. BTW, if you want a cheap thrill, next time you are on a plane and the attendant is of a certain age and asks you want you want (what she really wants to know if you want water or a coke), tell her you'd like a deck of playing cards.  It seems to transport them back to a different era and it takes them awhile to recover and smile and perhaps ask "And has it really been 40 years since you've flown?"

 Confused Am I, isn't this unnatural?!?  This joker troubles me since the crescent moon is facing opposite all the others.  Does that happen?

More about the joker above. This joker was  featured by Joop Muller as the Joker of the Month, June 2020. Since his research and knowledge is so deep and thorough, I'll quote: 

So here she is, sitting on the moon holding up a drink, surrounded by stars and some light brown nebula's. No, she's not in the best condition. The back shows a goose in flight and advertises Miller High Life, "the champagne of bottle beer". So that's probably in the glass she's holding. Google brought some more information. Apparently this logo is called "Girl on the Moon" and there have been at least 5 versions of her. This version would have been in use in the 1950's. I think it's safe to say that the joker was made in the US, but couldn't put a maker to it. Nevertheless...... cheers!”

Here are the ensemble shots of 63 jokers updated 10/2023. (Up 26% from 50 in 2/21).

The top left and top right joker below deserve a comment. They are the jokers from the 52 Plus Joker 2023 Club deck. I bought three decks, kept two unopened, and am greatly enjoying the open deck which is gorgeous with sweet foil applied all over the packaging and cards.

Plus there are four more topsy turvy crescent moon jokers. There are two where they have musical instruments and are drinking. (Only one is shown).

 

And there two (only one shown) in which they just have an instrument but nothing to drink.

Here are two cards where the back features a crescent moon. I only have the singles and I'd love to know (or have) the joker if it also has a crescent moon on it.

What to look at next, I suggest the:

Christmas Jokers

Clown Jokers or

Alice in Wonderland Jokers

Standard Playing Cards who had the very first crescent moon joker.
the source art of the Congress Matching Mythological Jokers a
Congress Matching Jokers

Perfection Playing Cards from the Late 1800s