When the Going Gets Rough

[tobyedwards]

In the Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards, we find the listing L34 for the Caterson & Brotz Rough Backs brand in the chapter pertaining to the Longley Brothers and Successor Companies. Part of this listing contains a quote from the box describing the advantages of this newly patented technology. Today, I thought I would share with the visitors to this website, pictures of the front and back of the very attractive original box from the "sister" deck issued by The Reynolds Card Mfg. Compy. of New York which is found under the listing L37a in the same chapter. Further cementing the obvious connection between the two companies, not that any additional evidence was needed, is the fact that this very same quote also appears on this box. I am also showing a picture of the wonderful back design which may be the work of Edwin R. Eavenson who designed other ornate back designs for Caterson & Brotz. The characteristics of this kind of surface treatment are that the face of each card is smooth but the backs have 8 columns of slightly raised diagonal lines each measuring approximately 5/16" wide and separated by a tiny space in between. The direction of the diagonal line in each column alternates so that, when held at a certain angle, the overall effect appears to be a herringbone pattern.

Staying on the subject of rough surfaced playing cards, the next two pictures show the front and back of the original box for a brand of playing cards called Sure Deal issued by The Union Playing Card Company of New York. I have not shown pictures of the ace of spades or the joker because both are already shown under the L40 listing in the encyclopedia in the Longley chapter. It is interesting to note that the idea of changing or "improving" the card surface was not unique to one playing card manufacturer or, if it was, then Union was related to Caterson & Brotz and Reynolds. What is different about the treatment of these cards is that they are advertised on the box as Rough Surfaced Cards and not just rough backs, therefore, true to their word, both the front and back of each card have been affected. The nature of this treatment is also different in that the entire card now has a series of slightly raised vertical lines which made me think of the grooves cut into the pavement of certain stretches of highway that are prone to slickness in times of inclement weather in order to help provide greater traction for the cars that travel over them. So just as a road is prevented from becoming slippery, these cards proclaim that they are prevented from becoming sticky.

If any collector knows of another manufacturer who issued a brand of playing cards with a similar treatment, please share that information here.

[NCC1888]

Great pictures. Are you aware of this article.....
Aug 21,1890
American Stationer
Playing Cards A New List
The agency for the playing cards manufactured by the Caterson & Company of Philadelphia has been placed in the hands of the Reynolds Card Manufacturing Company 60 Duane street New York (Note: They Dissolved in 1897) George P Schinzel Jr of the last named concern has been elected president of the Caterson Brotz Company and the Reynolds Manufacturing Company is now the agent for the sale of these cards. The Caterson & Brotz cards are very favorably known and the house will be glad to quote attractive prices to the trade. The company is also the sole manufacturer of the celebrated rough back playing cards, the merits of which lie in the impossibility of the player to misdeal them. This is an advantage which heretofore has not been generally known. Such cards are admirable for euchre and especially on railway trains and better than ever for the seductive game of poker. The company has just issued a new price list from which a liberal discount is made.

And Also This One......
April 1889
American Stationer
The Thorp & Adams Manufacturing Company has just brought out something new in playing cards. As will be noted by reference to the half page announcement of this company in this issue of The Stationer its specialty is styled the rough surfaced cards. As may be known to many dealers there has recently been placed on the market a line of playing cards with roughened backs but the line now being introduced by the Thorp & Adams Manufacturing Company has both the backs and the faces of the cards roughened. While the rough backs are claimed to be an improvement over the ordinary smooth high finished cards the new line having both surfaces roughened is claimed to be a still greater improvement and with these every deal is a sure deal. The Sure Deal playing cards are made in three grades and samples with prices will be mailed to dealers upon application to the company.

As far as a Longley Brothers connection I am leary. I have seen the reference to Longstroths research on their different card company connections but is there anything out there with details of his proof? I have been digging around for a while about the backgrounds of all the brothers but it narrows down to Septimus and Servetus. Septimus is out of the picture by 1869 but then his son William gets involved. I just do not see them involved in the card scene in New York. Where is there more info?

[Don Boyer]

If any collector knows of another manufacturer who issued a brand of playing cards with a similar treatment, please share that information here.

Well, while I haven't had the pleasure of owning a deck myself, I'm told that the original 1970-issue of the now-famous Jerry's Nugget deck had a textured side and a smooth side.

I would think that it would be advantageous to have the faces be "rough" (air-cushioned) instead of the backs.  When cards are dealt on a table, they're typically dealt out face-down, so it would be the faces that needed the air cushion more.

Does ANYONE make a deck like this TODAY, with one side smooth and the other side textured?  If so, I haven't seen it yet.