Awesome info, Crypto.  Thank you

You're welcome! I am happy this helped

Just bought a double deck of Arrow Playing Cards.  This ace lists 734-754 Mather St as their address, and the ace in Hochman has an address of 800 So. Sibley.  Anyone know which address was first and if there were any other addresses?  Any other tips as to dating these decks other than address?

Hello Chuqii,

The Arrow Playing Card Company, manufacturer of card and board stocks, was incorporated in 1927 at 800 Sibley Street with the Capital Stock of $30,000. The incorporators were: L. Grollman, C. Harris and A. A. Schlesinger. In 1930, the company has arranged for an increase in capital from $60,000 to $120,000, for general expansion at 734-754 Mather Street, before it becomes the Arrco Playing Card Company in 1935.

Quote from: Cryptocard27 on September 24, 2015, 09:22:17 AM

Could you put a photo of your storage boxes?

Sure.  They're on sale at Staples, a national office supply chain store.  Their stackability makes them very versatile.  They come with wheels on casters, but I don't recommend then if you're storing cards - the weight will only break them off at the anchor post holes.

The large white boxes are known in the trading card hobby as "Super Monster Boxes."  Ultra-Pro is the industry leader in making protective storage equipment for sports and gaming cards.  One such box would hold 5,000 baseball cards - in my case, they hold 125 decks each.

Thank you for the photos Don, it's very cool!! The "Super Monster Boxes" are very interesting. I don't have enough decks in my collection for the moment to buy it but it will be maybe a future purchase. You must have a lot of decks to have many boxes, right?

Concerning the Standard Playing Card Company, I would really like to see a copy of the early deck made by the company with the rare joker (Hochman SU1) pictured below.

A small photographic treasure.. I would like to share with you this nice photo that I particularly like. It shows Lilian Russell (1860-1922), an American actress and singer sitting next to playing cards. The rare deck seen here is a Superior Steamboats #9 (Hochman NU2), made by The National Card Company since 1885. Personally, I find this picture really beautiful and it's a bit unusual to see an antique deck so distinctly on a photograph of this period. I hope you will enjoy that too!
Crypto

It is not a deck but a some time ago, I found two antique engravings of 1876. The first one shows the factory of Andrew Dougherty at 76 Centre Street, in New York, and the engraving includes a protection sheet. The second represents the portrait of the manufacturer. The last one is of less good quality and a bit more damaged but colors are nevertheless magnificent for the two.

Interesting - if made in USA for Michaud, why did he commission the deck? Was it for publicity for his cognacs?

That is just a suggestion but indeed, I believe that he commissioned the deck for his own publicity if he was really not the manufacturer. The storekeepers liked to have small articles at hand (like matchboxes, fountain pen, candy boxes, etc.) with their name and address to offer them easily to the customers in their store. And if the woman drawn on the box makes a reference to an erotic hidden game, we could think that it was the funny little gift to accompany the Cognac glass

How about antique cabinets to store and display your playing card collection in beautiful drawers and window displays? Some time ago, I won an antique Apollo #33 deck made by the National playing Card Co. This blue copy is "sealed" with a tax stamp intact and protected in advertising leather box, initially addressed to "J. D. Warren Mfg Co", Chicago USA.

With a bit of research, I found some information and "J. D. Warren Mfg Company" was in the manufacture of Hardware store equipments, oak cabinets, boxes, cases, drawers, etc., in Chicago, in the early 1900s. When I received the Apollo deck, I considered it very nice already, but by seeing some of the products made by J. D. Warren, I also discovered a very interesting company with fabulous items that could even be useful to store a playing card collection (with sufficient place ) !!

I attached some pictures of the deck and the company below.
Crypto

Likely the Michaud deck was made in France specifically for an American publisher/distributor, i.e. Nelson.

I also thought that Michaud was maybe like Robert Sauzade, a Frenchman but resident and manufacturer in New York between 1840 to 1844 but I think you're right because of the quotations in english on each card and the french address on the box.

Quote from: Cryptocard27 on September 22, 2015, 11:34:15 PM

I recently found on the web a copy of the Transparent Playing Cards made by Jean Michaud (Hochman O20a). The box indicates the full name "Jean Michaud et Fils" and an address located in Paris, "19, Rue de la Barque". Michaud seems to be a French manufacturer. Do you have more info about that? The box is really nice!!
Crypto

Are we talking about the decks with the translucent cards, which when held to a light source show hidden art inside the two layers of the card?  Those are pretty cool - I'm surprised the process doesn't survive today in a mass-produced deck.  I have a few Hofzinser cards that work the same way, concealing a card reveal instead of a pretty picture.

I have no American transparent deck in my collection but I saw antique French transparent decks in museums, hiding some erotic scenes well hidden without light but I don't know if all American transparent decks hide the same thing.. I also don't understand why this process did not survive today.. too expensive ? Concerning the Michaud deck, it was maybe a special sending from an American manufacture to France for Jean Michaud If he was not the manufacturer but maybe that some experts can help us.

I recently found on the web a copy of the Transparent Playing Cards made by Jean Michaud (Hochman O20a). The box indicates the full name "Jean Michaud et Fils" and an address located in Paris, "19, Rue de la Banque". Michaud seems to be a French manufacturer. Do you have more info about that? The box is really nice!!
Crypto

Any time you ever want to put together a nice photo gallery for CARD CULTURE, you be sure and let me know!  I've love to publish some of these little gems you've discovered.  I LOVE the shot of Theda Bara playing solitaire - fantastic!

Thanks Don!! I would be very happy if you can publish a photo gallery for Card Culture. I can send you photos directly on your mail if you want. Waiting for it, here is a new antique pix of three men who play cards with a nice Fencing back made by American Playing Card Co., and pictured below.

Thank you infinitely for your work and this update! For that price, I am not going to wait long