Cary Collection of Playing Cards - History of The Collection

History of The Collection

Although the card collection is named after Melbert B. Cary, Jr., a wealthy importer, the collection actually began in 1945 with the donation of a sizeable amount of cards and books from Mrs Samuel H. Fisher. Her donations were significant, spanning approximately five hundred years of the history of the playing card and reaching as far back as the 15th century. Despite Mrs Fisher's initial donation, the collection did not gain its current reputation as a premier collection until the late 1960s when Cary's widow, Mary Flagler Cary, donated the couple's collection to Yale. Since then, the collection has continued to grow due to a generous bequest that accompanied the Cary's donation and that stipulates that the money can only be used for the purchase of playing cards and related materials.

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