Talking Cards

July 29, 2009 12:23 PM

Used as postcards and for advertising, phono postcards were a single-sided phonograph record stuck on a card with a hole punched through. The Weco cards stand out with their use of photography (with the clothes sometimes painted on) and see-through vinyl.
posted by tellurian (12 comments total)

Wow, this is awesome. I had never even heard of these, although I still have a few treasured flexi-discs.
posted by OmieWise at 12:40 PM on July 29

I remember the flexible records that used to come in comic books and magazines, but never saw these postcards before. Really interesting stuff!
posted by xingcat at 12:42 PM on July 29

I had completely forgotten about these. They were great. They also used to sometimes print cardboard "records" on cereal boxes.
posted by nax at 1:15 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]

Related?
posted by mkb at 1:27 PM on July 29

Some 50 years later, synthesized speech is recorded as a magazine insert. I wonder how well these most flexible of recordings hold up (my copy of this Bell Labs speech synth sample is sitting at home, unplayed, for fear of damaging it).
posted by filthy light thief at 1:44 PM on July 29

The Internet Museum of FLEXI/CARDBOARD/ODDITY Records. (via WFMU)
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:45 PM on July 29

Yes, what nax said. I remember playing the record of "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies that came on the back of the Sugar Smacks box.

On my Close 'n' Play. YES I AM OLD AND PROUD OF IT.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:51 PM on July 29 [2 favorites]

Ha, I just bought two phono-postcards originally issued for the 1962 World's Fair at the Space Needle the other day (old stock still lying around, I guess?).

They are awesome, but I don't know if I dare play them on anything.
posted by AaronRaphael at 1:51 PM on July 29

Waxing lyrical about flexi 45s and 33 1/3s — these are 78s!
posted by tellurian at 2:03 PM on July 29

I write UUENCODE'd MP3s by hand onto postcards.

begin 640 hello.mp3
,9F]O(&)A<B!B87H*
`
end
posted by GuyZero at 2:22 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]

"...but I don't know if I dare play them on anything."

The thing you play them on.
posted by bz at 8:55 PM on July 29

You can hear some samples here, AaronRaphael. After listening I wouldn't think you'd be tempted to hear the whole thing.
posted by tellurian at 10:49 PM on July 29