I'm Jim Camp, the guy behind the synaesthesia press. I'm a letterpress printer, a publisher of limited-edition books and broadsides, and a lifelong book collector. I've been at this for close to 40 years, and most of what I'm offering here has lived on my shelves for decades. Now it's time for these books to move on to new homes. When one finds its way to your shelf, it'll arrive quickly, securely packed, and with no extra fees for shipping or handling. Oh, and don't be afraid to make an offer!
Offering: Adult novelty “dirty” playing card deck. No publisher stated, circa early-60's?
Good+ complete 52-card deck plus joker. No original box or slipcase present. Cards show moderate handling wear, soft corner wear, and age toning consistent with use, but remain clean and fully usable/displayable. A surprisingly uncommon survivor as complete sets were often broken up, heavily used, or discarded. Card dimensions approx. 2.5" x 3.5" (6.4 x 8.9 cm).
Before the internet, before cable television, before magazines were easy to come by in every convenience store, there was the “dirty deck.” Cheap, portable, funny, a little forbidden, and passed around quietly among friends, these novelty card decks were part of American mid-century underground culture for decades. For a lot of men of a certain generation, this really was their first glimpse of the female form outside of Hollywood movies or department store catalogs.
What makes these decks interesting now is how innocent they almost seem compared to modern standards. They sit somewhere between burlesque, pin-up culture, bachelor party gag gift, and postwar Americana. This complete surviving deck — with all 52 cards plus joker intact — captures that strange little pocket of social history perfectly.
A terrific little artifact from the era when a deck of cards could still scandalize a room.
My best pieces never sit around for long, so click the heart on my store page to save me as a seller. I'm also the publisher behind the synaesthesia press, known for its limited-edition books and broadsides, so when you buy here you're buying from a collector and letterpress printer who's been at this longer than I'd like to admit.