"Century" decks from Rainbow Room - late 40's early 50's?

[Mike Ratledge]

Can anyone help ID this pair of decks? It says New York Consolidated but cancelled CDC (Consolidated Dougherty?) and the open (blue) one has a Rainbow Room advertising card inside.

The side script says "The Union News Company" - I think, hard to read. The card says "RCA Building" so maybe that helps date it? I am guessing that they were sold in the gift shop about 60 years ago, just judging by the style.

My research show that company went out of business in 1956 or 57 depending on what source you believe.

[52plusjoker]

Interesting brand - I assume a standard NYCC Ace and Joker. There was a Century brand made in 1900 with special Ace, etc but clearly no relationship with these. Consolidated Dougherty name was ended in 1962 so before that. I assume there is no date code on the Ace. I'd guess 1940's or very early 1950's. Could easily have been a souvenir for visitors to Rockefeller Center. Likely Union News Co had a concession there to run a gift store as you suggest.

[Mike Ratledge]

Yes, standard AoS, "shield & wreath Joker and plain Jane "Second Joker" with stars in the corner.

No codes on AoS or anywhere I can find. I think we're spot on the origin.  Could have been a news stand in the building - now called "30 Rock" or "G.E.Building" (and had a deal with the Rainbow Room to cut costs).

[Don Boyer]

Perhaps the deck was commissioned by the Union News Company.  I read that they were a division of the American News Company, which was a very large distributor of newspapers, comic books, magazines and books.  Founded in 1864, it was dominant from the 1940s right up to the company's sudden demise in 1957.  No one knows exactly what happened, but it's believed by some that a speculator checking into the company's bookkeeping discovered an irregularity that would allow the company to turn a huge profit if it was liquidated.

Cool deck, no matter how you slice it.  I'm curious about the teeny logo in the center of the card back, "U N Co." in the middle of a shield.  It also appears on the front of the tuck box.

[52plusjoker]

USPC had many stationers, drug chains, jewelry chains, etc for whom the made special order cards. Somewhere I have a list of them. There were dozens and I'm sure Union News was one.

[Mike Ratledge]

Don, the story has been told two albeit similar ways, and I agree that someone likely saw the opportunity to cash in on their demise. Google is your friend, as always these days.

Tom, it would be quite interesting to see the list, and I found another sealed one in blue. Obviously not that rare, but not well known, either. Interesting find. U N Co branding on the tuck and backs is unusual though - at least not something I have seen other than a very few advertising type decks.

[52plusjoker]

Don, the story has been told two albeit similar ways, and I agree that someone likely saw the opportunity to cash in on their demise. Google is your friend, as always these days.

Tom, it would be quite interesting to see the list, and I found another sealed one in blue. Obviously not that rare, but not well known, either. Interesting find. U N Co branding on the tuck and backs is unusual though - at least not something I have seen other than a very few advertising type decks.

Will take some hunting but it is here somewhere and I'll find and post - likely in a few days.