The pictures below show several larger views of the (2) Old Boxed Brown & Bigelow Advertising Premium Fisherman Playing Card Decks. The cards and box bottom are not dated but these are believed to be from the 1940s or 1950s. Both decks are complete. One of the card decks still has the original cellophane with the Internal Revenue stamp. The card backs have two different Father & Son images. The Father (who resembles the actor Walter Matthou) caught one small fish and the Son caught a whole stringer of fish. The box bottom has a nice image of the two from behind fishing together with cane fishing poles. There is a wooden sign that reads ''THIS IS THE LIFE''. The Artist or Illustrator of the colorful images is unknown. This playing card set was an advertising premium from a Lewiston, Maine construction company. The card backs and box bottom are marked as follows: COMPLIMENTS OF STANDARD CONSTRUCTION CO. INC. LEWISTON, MAINE. The ''REDISLIP'' card decks were made in the U.S.A. by Brown & Bigelow of St. Paul, Minnesota as marked on the ace of spades. The cards each measure 2-1/4'' x 3-1/2''. The card decks appear to be in mint unused condition as pictured. As mentioned above, one deck still has the cellophane wrapper and the tax stamp. One end of the cellophane has opened from age but the cards have never been out. The set has the box bottom with the picture on the bottom, but the clear plastic top of the box is missing. |