Cary Collection of Playing Cards, Playing card collection at Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Connecticut, United States.
The Cary Collection houses more than 2600 playing card decks alongside uncut card sheets and wood blocks used in card production. Together these materials provide a complete view of how cards were made and designed across different time periods.
The collection grew over decades as Melbert B. Cary Jr. gathered cards from around the world. His widow Mary Flagler Cary donated the entire collection to Yale University in the late 1960s, where it remains housed and maintained.
The collection shows how card designs and artistic styles changed over centuries, from hand-painted works to modern printing techniques. Visitors can see how different regions developed their own card traditions and how these styles influenced one another.
The collection is accessible through the Beinecke Library, where researchers and visitors can view the materials. Plan your visit in advance and check the library's current hours and visitor access policies.
The collection includes two of the oldest surviving tarot decks in the world, with the Visconti deck dating to the mid-15th century. These rare cards display early artistic techniques and hold special interest for visitors wanting to see how cards were hand-produced centuries ago.
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