PIN-UP & EROTICA
ARCHIVES

-1-

We'll start with two examples of "pin-ups" from the late Victorian days. By our present standards this looks like a deck with pictures of dressed up women, but in those days even showing a bare ankle in company would be considered inappropriate for a woman. So showing their voluptuous thighs, even covered in tights, would arouse the interest of most men in those days.

Around 1890 three decks with different faces were published in the USA as insert cards with tobacco products. The deck below was printed by Lindner, Eddy & Claus, Lith., New York and first published by the Moore & Calvi tobacco company to promote their "Hard A Port Cut Plug" brand. There are 6 editions with different backs, in print or coloring or overprint. This deck here is catalogued in the Hochman Encyclopedia as 115a (with "Cullingworth" overprint on backs).

CLICK THE ACES TO SEE THE NUMBERCARDS PER SUIT

The deck was reprinted in 2003 and published in the USA by FG & Co as "Risqué Beauties of the Theatre". The reproduction doesn't show the brand's name on the face cards and has 2 jokers. The deck comes in a carton slide box.