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Playing Card Chat ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ => A Cellar of Fine Vintages => Topic started by: musical_racket on February 26, 2014, 11:25:57 AM

Title: Arrow Brand Silhouette Deck
Post by: musical_racket on February 26, 2014, 11:25:57 AM
I was wondering if anyone could provide any more info about a deck a got a year or two ago. It is from the Arrow Playing Card Company, so I know it is between 1920-1935. It is silver colored and has a silhouette of a woman's head as the back design. It is in a very nice hard case which has a small frame on the top. The frame has another card with the silhouette. I will be posting pictures for it later.

My questions: Does anyone know if this is a regular thing for Arrow Playing Cards to print these silhouette decks? I am thinking that they might be custom based on the purchaser, but I honestly have no idea since I have not seen any others.
Title: Re: Arrow Brand Silhouette Deck
Post by: HeartQ on February 26, 2014, 02:12:12 PM
Would love to see the back, box, spade ace and joker of this deck. There were quite a large number of silhouette designs published in the time frame you mention, Arrow likely in the earlier half. I really like these narrow Art Deco infuenced designs
Title: Re: Arrow Brand Silhouette Deck
Post by: Don Boyer on February 27, 2014, 05:37:00 PM
I, for one, look forward to the photos!
Title: Re: Arrow Brand Silhouette Deck
Post by: musical_racket on March 01, 2014, 01:18:14 AM
Here are some pictures that I took earlier today. Let me know when you think.
Title: Re: Arrow Brand Silhouette Deck
Post by: Don Boyer on March 01, 2014, 06:01:40 AM
Those are kind of cool - especially the math lesson written on the box seal!

You can definitely detect that this is an early version of what would become known as the "Arrco Standard" playing card faces, after the company changed its name.
Title: Re: Arrow Brand Silhouette Deck
Post by: musical_racket on March 03, 2014, 01:22:30 PM
I noticed that too with these cards. I actually enjoy the Arrco Standard more than most. They just seem more "full" on the card if that makes any sense.
Title: Re: Arrow Brand Silhouette Deck
Post by: Don Boyer on March 04, 2014, 01:38:28 AM
I noticed that too with these cards. I actually enjoy the Arrco Standard more than most. They just seem more "full" on the card if that makes any sense.

I get it - they look a touch "larger" without actually being larger, probably through some tweaking of the proportions.

There's a few modern decks that employ the Arrco faces, beside the obvious Arrco decks like the Tahoe, Streamline and Stud decks.  The Crown decks from the Blue Crown and the Oriental deck come to me off the top of my head.