Love Letter, Fortune, X-Ray Photography, etc. Cards

[pennymachines]

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Some of these are available as ready made cards.
If you want to make them yourself - here are the graphics.
Individual card dimensions: 2 5/8" long x 1 7/8" wide x 1mm thick.

[loramarsden]

hello there! just wondering if you know anything about the history of the fortune teller/x-ray cards... just wondering who designed/drew them?

i'm trying to a write up on them as part of my journal for uni, and i want to include them, as i consider them wonderful examples of beautiful 'low art' work... but i know NOTHING about them!!!

i should probably get in touch with clive from southport/bygone times but just wondering if you or anyone else might know anything about them?

thankyou xxx

[grabber]

Hi Lora,
Clive makes these cards so it's best to phone him.
His phone number's in Jerry's magazine.
Also, I think these machines where made by a company called Argyle - there's some information in Nic Costa's book. I think they would be copyrighted. Also a collector from Kent is a great source of information - he is a friend of Jerry Chattenton's. I will try to contact him for more info.
Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[pennymachines]

Yes, as far as I'm aware, very little is recorded about the history of these cards. As Grabber says, if anyone does know, it will be Clive or our collector friend in Kent, but I imagine information about the original illustrators (particularly those working in the early 1900s) is now lost in the mists of time. The Argyle Automatic Company of London are believed to be the chief printer/supplier, but Haydon and Urry Ltd. of London (below), and no doubt several other machine manufacturers, would also have printed their own cards. I have a Green Ray card which was printed in my neck of the woods by AUTOMATIC SUPPLIES, 115 RESERVOIR ROAD, EDGBASTON, BIRMINGHAM, 16.

See also Love Letter Fortune Cards

Good luck with your journal.

[pennymachines]

Love Letter Fortune Cards.

[pennymachines]

Haydon & Urry Automatic Astrologer Cards.

[gameswat]

Wow, I'd love to do some archaeological digging around that Automatic supplies building! I've found some crazy stuff buried around old shops and houses, seems to have been common practice to bury rubbish anywhere in the old days. We need a coin-op Time Team on the case!! I know of people who have dug machines and I saw a slot in the US that came out of the ground, kinda stuffed but a great story.

[coin-op]

And there's that great tale about the guy who went to the Clawson factory and got all those un- assembled dice machines...and I think something similar happened with Nau machines. Only success of any kind I've had with digging around is finding a crunchie bar in the back of a cupboard that the kids have missed!

[pennymachines]

Postcard & future spouse.

[pennymachines]

Automatic Astrologer type 2 cards

[badpenny]

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Now if only you'd reproduced these before my last three marriages you could have saved me so much grief!

[pennymachines]

Before & After Marriage

[djjfive]

Copied from Coin operated fortune teller on ebay Site Admin.

Card measures 5.3cm by 3.3cm and is printed on fairly thick card.

[sweetmeats]

Copied from Coin operated fortune teller on ebay Site Admin.

Meurice & Argyle cards