The NEW ORLEANS CARNIVAL Deck
The deck was originally published in 1925 by the Carnival Playing Card Co. from New Orleans. It was designed by Harry D. Wallace. The cards here are from a reproduction of the original deck. The repro was made in 1981 and published by the Historic New Orleans Collection in celebration of Mardi Gras, the French equivalent of Fat Tuesday.
On the courts each suit represents a different Mardi Gras figure. Rex is the king of Mardi Gras, Momus the god of mockery, Comus the god of festivity, and Proteus a sea god who has the power to change his form at will. The ornate design of the Ace of Spades shows two carnival figures holding up a mask with the name of the festival, Mardi Gras, in the center.
