The Deck of Cards in the Greenbelt Museum

The Deck of Cards in the Greenbelt Museum
THE DECK OF CARDS IN THE GREENBELT MUSEUM

The deck of Bicycle brand playing cards in the Greenbelt Museum is located in the closet next to the garden side entrance of the house. This is where the original family kept most of their games. The deck of cards is found next to the MahJong game and Monopoly. The pack is very old and worn. Officially, this deck of cards is Bicycle Brand Playing Cards with Tangent Backs. The cards have an air cushion finish. But, through all of these fancy and technical terms for the cards themselves, they look like any deck of cards that would be found in an American home. However, these cards are much more worn than any cards that would typically found in use today.

One very interesting point is that the deck of cards in the Greenbelt Museum looks just like a deck found in a Greenbelt home of the 1930s and 1940s. Docent Lee Shields, commented that decks were litterally played with until they completely fell apart. This particular deck, however, would belong to a child after being passed down to them by their parents.

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For more information on the history of Bicycle Playing Cards and their manufacturer,
The United States Playing Card Company, see the U.S. Playing Card Co. website.