The Human Deck of Cards at the Armory
Seattle socialites transform themselves into a 'living deck' to perform a complex, choreographed game of whist for charity.
Arrangements are perfected for the production of a living whist game at the Armory on Tuesday night. This entertainment consists of a game of whist played by four players, where the cards are represented by living people. The players go through every movement of a game, including shuffling, cutting, dealing, and playing tricks, all performed to the music of the First Regiment band. Each party of four composing a trick will, when played, perform a specific dance, including the Oxford minuet, Highland fling, and the gavotte. The players include H. H. Lindsay, Eugene Semple, J. H. Allen, and Joseph Shippen. The event is under the direction of the Woman's Alliance of the First Unitarian Church to raise funds. Arrangements have been made with the streetcar lines to accommodate those staying late for the dancing that follows the game.
“In this game the cards are all living people. It will all be done to the music of the band.”
Long before the digital age, Seattleites created their own 'interactive' spectacle by turning human bodies into the pieces of a game. This event underscores the immense effort and public coordination invested in early social life at venues like the downtown Armory.
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