Stacked Decks: The Art and History of Erotic Playing Cards [Hardcover]

The Rotenberg Collection (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2007

The Rotenberg Collection is one of the world’s largest archives of vintage erotica, with more than 20,000 erotic playing cards in its holdings—and Stacked Decks highlights the best of the best.
 
Within these pages, readers will discover illustrated cards dating back to 1835, dazzling pin-up portraits from renowned artists such as Gil Elvgren, cards with instructions for promoting a healthy marriage, oversized cards, miniature cards, round cards, square cards, and comic cards. There are cards from Sweden, France, and the United Kingdom; cards from Africa to
Asia and beyond.
 
And of course, there are women. There are models, flappers, and strippers; there are blondes, brunettes, and redheads. There are women holding guns. Women in sports cars. Women wearing sombreros and pith helmets. Women encountering large exotic animals. Women reclining on shag carpets. Women dressed like Eskimos. Women posing in ways that defy description—you simply have to see for yourself.
 
So what are you waiting for? Ante up and turn the page!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Lee Rotenberg, the curator of the Rotenberg Collection, has been searching the planet for vintage erotica for more than 25 years. His archive presently includes more than 200,000 works, including vintage erotic photographs in every genre and format, reels of film, Tijuana Bibles, playing cards, books, magazines, and much more. The Rotenberg Collection has also been the basis for several books, including I Was a 1950s Pin-Up Model! (1995), The Rotenberg Collection: Cheesecake! (1999), The Rotenberg Collection: Forbidden Erotica (2000), and 1000 Forbidden Pictures (2002). Readers can visit the Rotenberg Collection online at www.vintagenudephotos.com.
 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594741549
• ISBN-13: 978-1594741548
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Arts & Photography > Painting > Portraits
  • #43 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Reference

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This deck is stacked, August 23, 2007

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stacked Decks: The Art and History of Erotic Playing Cards (Hardcover)

Mark Rotenberg is the obvious choice to do a book on pin-up playing cards, the intro says the contents are from his 450 decks (the world's biggest collection? Probably!). There isn't too much to say about a product that has very few clues about the models, photographers, printers yet over the years the numbers manufactured must run into the millions of packs. Of the 452 cards in the book the majority show anonymous females in predictably unimaginative stock glamour poses that card printers could buy for next to nothing.

I thought the illustrative cards much more interesting. There are a few showing the paintings of Heinz Villiger, Joyce Ballantyne, Al Moore and Gil Elvgren. Strangely no Petty or Vargas decks, were the reproduction rights too expensive? The best cards in the book are surely the two decks put out in 1955 by Parisian manufacturer Editions Philibert who commissioned artist Paul-Emile Becat to paint a series of miniatures showing erotic Florentine life during the Renaissance and another set about Casanova. When compared to these two decks the book's photo glamour material come across as the tacky cards they really are.

It is unfortunate that the book's production is very dull. The cards are presented full on, with none angled or overlapping each other. The addition of a drop shadow would have given them a lift. As most of the cards are visually unimaginative perhaps a few still-life photos throughout the book would provide some interest: a poker hand on a card table with some chips, a scattered deck of cards as a background with four or five prominent. I thought it was particular annoying that so many cards are shown larger than the originals (and some really are too big) which only emphasizes their cheap subject matter and poor printing.

If there had been more creative input in the way the contents had been presented I think this could have been a much more interesting book.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stacked Decks is fabulous!, July 11, 2007

By 

Mirskaya "Yksi" (Joisey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stacked Decks: The Art and History of Erotic Playing Cards (Hardcover)

Stacked Decks is fabulous! There are many, many pages of kitschy, campy 1940s through 70s "nudie" cards, featuring both photos and illustrations. Some are sweet in that girl-next-door way, some are sexy and sultry (or even a bit slutty), and some are just plain hilarious! There are also some really old cards dating back to the 1800s and some fascinating history. It's a perfect present for anyone who loves poker or is interested in pin-up art.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ooh La La!, September 26, 2009

By 

m00nman - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stacked Decks: The Art and History of Erotic Playing Cards (Hardcover)

"Ooh La La!" - that's what my nephew said when he flipped through one of my "safe" 1950's decks of glamor models (the "unsafe" nude decks are kept on an out-of-reach shelf, I'm a good uncle!)...and his exclamation says it all: there is a sense of naughty FUN to these things, something that makes you want to share them, even though they might be something you're supposed to hide.

This book has that same sense of fun (I keep it on that same high shelf, BTW). With lots of different versions in full color, what is there not to like?

I was particularly taken with the descriptions of a very old European deck, which wasn't even known to be "dirty" until the present day, when a collector happened to notice what showed through the Victorian etchings when the cards were held up to a light! Ingenious! I was a bit disappointed to find out that the hidden portions were considered to be "too dirty" for this book...once they told me about them, I was curious to see them! Oh well.

All in all, a very worthwhile book. Not for kids, of course, but nice, light-hearted kitschy sexy fun for grownups (or just middle-aged juveniles, like myself!).