Napoleon's Retreat is a greeting card for people who appreciate the point where history, art, and intellect converge. The front reproduces a chess problem from Problems in Chess (1876) - a privately published volume of puzzles collected and mostly devised by John Wilkinson of Chicago.
The majority of the problems had first appeared in chess papers and magazines between 1858 and 1861, placing this puzzle squarely in the golden age of competitive chess composition.
The image is courtesy of The Library of Congress, and the solution to the problem is printed on the reverse - a satisfying detail that makes this card as rewarding to receive as it is to send.
The title nods to Napoleon's well-documented obsession with chess, a game he played - by most accounts - with more enthusiasm than skill. There's something pleasingly wry about that.
Printed in England on a light cream, uncoated 300gsm Italian paper. The finish is matte and tactile, the kind of surface that makes you want to hold the card rather than immediately file it away. The paper is FSC certified, recyclable, and biodegradable.
This card works beautifully for birthdays, thank-yous, or simply as a considered note to someone who would genuinely appreciate it.
It's a natural choice for chess players, history enthusiasts, puzzle lovers, and anyone with a fondness for the nineteenth century. It would sit equally well in a gift shop, a museum store, or on a well-curated desk.
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Soft armchair
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