For the past month, a new blog has been sharing examples of magicians' throwing cards. Performers in large theatres would propel promontional cards into the audience:
Capitalizing on the popularity of card scaling, magicians commissioned custom printed playing cards -- called throwing cards, throwouts, scaling cards and souvenir cards -- which, like business cards, feature drawings, photographs and slogans of the performers who tossed them. It proved an inexpensive and sensational method to advertise magic shows.
Contributors to the blog include Gary Brown, Tom Ewing and Gary Frank. Those interested in this kind of magical ephemera can visit throwingcards.blogspot.ca for more.
