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R.W. Hull Green Ace Playing Card - this is actually
the back design of a full deck of cards. |
The most amazing benefit of working on this blog comes from the astonishing things you learn while developing the history of a small piece of cardstock. The human elements make these historical detours so very interesting. Today's subject, Ralph W. Hull, is a case in point. Printed in green ink, this throwing card sports a groovy elf conjuring up a profusion of cards. And while it appears to be the face of an ace of spades, the green side is actually a back design of an entire deck of cards. The reverse of this marvelous specimen features a handsome Ace of Spades by the Russell Playing Card Company. Gary and Tom both found another, printed in red, with a playing card back, seen below. In the red deck, it seems that the ace of spades design is a single card from a deck, rather than the back design.
Delving into Hull's history, I found a rich biographical record:
Ask Alexander produced nearly 1,000 references in magic books and periodicals, and the Internet revealed still more. There is far too much material for a detailed biography, so a few highlights will have to do:
