Tart Cards

While I was sorting some book out ready to take the the local charity shop, I found an old book I bought (I think I found it in a charity shop)

Tart cards

For any new readers (or my loyal readers who may not remember) - Tart cards were often printed cards (though some of the early ones were handwritten/drawn) and placed in London telephone boxes by the working girls advertising their different type of services during the 1980's when a loophole in the law meant they were not, strictly speaking, illegal.The practice of placing cards was known as carding. It is a particularly English phenomenon specific to London and seaside resort around Brighton and Hove (though they did appear in other towns) For the printers who were prepared to take the risk they represented a very regular and lucrative business.

Sex sells but ironically sex was the one word that was not used on the cards. Hand written, euphemism, double entendres, catch phrases, plain text, rhymes and a specialised vocabulary.

Here's a few you may not have seen.

Of course not everyone appreciated these cards, some found them intimidating and offensive, others amusing but for the girls and their customers they were a commercial necessity and in 2001 it became a criminal office to put these type of tart cards in telephone boxes and if caught could have faced a six-month jail sentence or a £5,000 fine.

Stay safe.

Have a fun weekend.

Ronnie

xx

The Girl's Business Cards

You may remember me finding and buying this book

and sharing some of the business cards the working girls used to put in London red telephone boxes advertising their different services. Well I found more on my travels. Hope you enjoy them.

For my new readers - These are called Tart cards and were often printed cards (though some of the early ones were handwritten/drawn

and were placed in London telephone boxes by the girls advertising all their different type of services during the 1980's when a loophole in the law meant they were not, strictly speaking, illegal.

The practice of placing cards was known as carding. It was a particularly English phenomenon specific to London and seaside resort around Brighton and Hove (though they did appear in other towns) For the printers who were prepared to take the risk they represented a very regular and lucrative business.

Sex sells but ironically sex was the one word that was not used on the cards. Hand written, euphemism, double entendres, catch phrases, plain text, rhymes and a specialised vocabulary.

There was a lot of competition so their business cards had to stand out from all the others. 

You can view more of the cards from the book here and here.

Have a fun weekend.

Ronnie
xx 

London Working Girls - Tart Cards

Come and join me and we'll take another peek into my Working Girl's Tart Book.

Because all tart cards essentially retail the same product, many of the girls had to become inventive and persuasive with their vocabulary in order to sell their wares.

So the girls had to add a little humour and wit and you would frequently find expression in brief lines of poetry from chirpy rhyming couplets:

New number new place

Ring me now for the place!

If you're feeling rather randy

Always keep this number handy!

Or enticing invitations

Often girls would parody the phrase of popular adverts such as this re-working of a Heineken beer ad.

Our simple two liners. I like this one:)

Or the more menacing doggerels

Plain blank verse adaptations

Or just straight to the point

You can view more here.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Ronnie

xx

Another peek into my 'Tart Cards' book

London, more money was spent (probably still is) on sex than going to the cinema and the ladies (and gentlemen) in the trade had to sell it as best they could. There was a lot of competition so their business cards had to stand out from all the others.

Many had amusing printed phrases

Although they were a modern phenomenon in Victorian London prostitutes used to distributed their 'business card's to theatres and musical halls, the cards were placed in sealed envelopes that had printed on them delicately suggestive rhymes.

Of course not everyone appreciated these cards, some found them intimidating and offensive, others amusing but for the girls and their customers they were a commercial necessity and in 2001 it became a criminal office to put these type of tart cards in telephone boxes and if caught could have faced a six-month jail sentence or a £5,000 fine.

The girls often would find expressions in brief lines of poetry and rhyming couplets. I'll pick some of those for another time.

Hope you have a good weekend.

Ronnie

xx

Tart Cards Christmas Edition

You may remember a couple of times earlier this year I've posted a few images from my 'Tart Cards' book. You can see some here and here.

Now I've selected a few with Christmas themes, a bit tenuous with some of them but I thought they were amusing so here they are.

Sex sells and as Christmas is a busy one for the girls they try to bring as much humour and wit to their Christmas working cards with distinctive illustrations and text in order to entice their clients. They have to be inventive and persuasive with their vocabulary in order to sell their wares. Such as 'Treat yourself to some Kinky Kristmas Kapers' or visit a 'Stunning Christmas cracker waiting to be pulled'

"The images that accompany the slogans and the many hand drawn cards with holly, ivy or a cracker adds to the allure and charm of these particular Christmas working cards". Equally festive words play a part as this parody nursery rhyme shows Sing-a-song-of-sixpence:

Sing a song of Christmas.

a grotto full of toys,

Lots of canes, whips and chains,

for all you naughty boys

Or this playful rhyme:

Christmas cracker needs some fun!

Come along and spank her bum

Some preferred word-play and one liners :

'Good Queen Wence-lust, with the 42" bust'.

'Red hot Xmas cracker'

'Let me play with your Jingle bells'

Ronnie

xx

Working Girls - Tart Cards II

Lets take another peep inside the book about the London Working Girls "Tart Cards"

Sex sells! But ironically sex is the one word that the tart cards never used. Euphemism, double entendres, catch phrases, rhymes and a specialised vocabulary are all drawn on to retail that most basic human instinct

Some of the girls had to improvise and hand write their cards. These were often small, cheap and cheerful, straight to the point and very attractive to some men.

Later many of the girls increased the size of their cards added pictures and colour. They had to make them captivating and memorable in order to catch a clients attention which was particularly important when other girls were offering the same product.

Cruel Dominatrix Ladies

(Click picture to enlarge)

Second only to corporal punishment. A true dominatrix dressed in the latest latex with 4" stiletto boots and wielding a whip is not a prostitute and woe betide any of the clients who thinks otherwise.

More soon.

Have a great weekend.

Ronnie

xx

Working Girls - Tart Cards

Remember me posting some of the working girl cards that they used to put in the London red telephone boxes advertising their different services, well now I've found an authoritative book on the subject. I was out shopping recently and spotted "Tart Cards" as per the below cover. I think the title says it all.

The book is well written amusing and informative of London's darker side. It's packed with tart cards, some from around 25 years ago.

"Printed cards in telephone boxes appeared in London during the 1980's when a loophole in the law meant they were not, strictly speaking, illegal". "The practice of placing cards was known as carding. It is a particularly English phenomenon specific to London and seaside resort around Brighton and Hove. For the printers who were prepared to take the risk they represented a very regular and lucrative business."

Here's a few photos from the book. It also has an amusing glossary of technical terms and vernacular phrases that are often found on the London tart cards.

Map of the London Underground, the tube stop names have been changed to reflect the services of the London working girls.

Love or hate them, I would have to say the tart cards are definitely a part of London's history.

Ronnie

xx