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

Working Girls II

P was telling me the other day that one of our clients has just acquired one of those old British red telephone boxes to put in his new restaurant, I don't know if he's going to put a phone it or if it's just decor. Not sure where he got it but there aren't many around in public use these days, I reckon they'll become collectors items if not already.

It reminded me of an old post on working girls advertising their varied services in the telephone boxes in London, they used to stick their business cards in the booths.

Here's another selection of their 'business cards'

Wonder where they advertise now.

Ronnie

xx

Working Girls

So what's this got to do with telephone boxes you ask?Well it was taken from one of those lovely old British red telephone boxes, along with lots of other buisness cards from girls advertising various.. er.. stress relief services.

The phone boxes are almost non existent these days, being replaced with modern plastic bubbles and mobiles of course, but I found an article which showed loads of different cards which had been taken from the old boxes, I just chose a few of them.


Apparently contact cleaning staff and repair men used to turn a blind eye to the cards, which were taped or blu-tacked to the wooden board which the payphone was mounted on.



Here's a selection of them below:-





I couldn't help thinking what would I put on my card if I was so minded as to want to place one and I came up with this, with the help of photo-ed.

I showed the card I made to P, he laughed. ''They're supposed to pay you, not you pay them,'' he said.

Oh dear, I wouldn't make much money. But then there's the job satisfaction............



Ronnie

xx