Hochman O20a - Michauds Transparent Playing Cards

[Cryptocard27]

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

[Don Boyer]

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.

[Cryptocard27]

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.

[Don Boyer]

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.

Could be that the manufacturing process is prohibitively expensive.  The Hofzinser cards I possess were all hand-made, and I'm guessing those French cards you mentioned were as well.  But there is a key difference - the Hofzinser cards were "reverse engineered" in that they were made from ordinary playing cards being modified, while your French cards were possibly if not probably manufactured that way to begin with.  It could be that manufacturing them that way is cheaper, but has more limited applications - most people who don't perform magic prefer their cards not be see-through!

[52plusjoker]

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

[Cryptocard27]

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.

[Cryptocard27]

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

Some corrections: In fact, I think that the Transparent deck was probably made in the United States for Jean Michaud because Michaud does not appear to have been a playing card manufacturer but rather a distiller who inspired the house of "E. Normandin & Co", formerly house of "Michaud et Fils", founded by Jean Michaud in 1844, before the business is managed by Messrs Cognac, Normandin and Rivière.

[52plusjoker]

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

[Cryptocard27]

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

[Don Boyer]

I would guess that the image would have been considered rather racy for the time period.  I can envision a scenario similar to that experienced by older adolescent males purchasing their first condoms - walk into the store, pick up a half-dozen items and get that as an "afterthought!"  I'm sure it boosted sales more than an ordinary pack of cards would have.