ROWHOUSE PLAYING CARDS
Rowhouse Playing Cards
The Brooklyn Studio Rowhouse Playing Cards are a celebration of New York City’s vast treasury of historic rowhouses. Featuring original watercolor illustrations by artist Diane Hu, the cards depict houses in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and The Bronx.
The Rowhouse Playing Cards were produced in collaboration with the Historic Districts Council (HDC), the citywide advocate for New York’s historic neighborhoods. Proceeds from the sale of each deck will be donated to HDC.
Limit six decks per order. Orders will be fulfilled Mondays and Fridays.
Illustrated by Diane Hu
Each deck features fifteen watercolor illustrations by Diane Hu, which are based on some of The Brooklyn Studio’s favorite rowhouses throughout the city. They showcase a variety of architectural styles, ranging from Federal and Greek Revival to Neo-Tudor and Flemish Renaissance.
Typeset in Community Gothic
The Rowhouse Playing cards are typeset in Community Gothic, a newly released font by Frere-Jones Type. Community Gothic is inspired by nineteenth-century “jobbing” type — nondescript fonts that were used for quick, inexpensive, commercial print jobs. Its letterforms have slightly irregular curves, echoing the gritty imperfections of nineteenth-century print. The Brooklyn Studio commissioned renowned type designer Tobias Frere-Jones to design an accompanying set of playing suits to pair with Community Gothic.
Produced to Exacting Specifications
Printed by the Expert Playing Card Company, the Rowhouse Playing Cards are produced to exacting specifications. They are designed to meet the needs of enthusiasts, collectors, magicians, and professional card-players alike.
Each deck retails for $20. Transparent pricing is important to us. Following is a breakdown of the price.
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$10
The Brooklyn Studio’s cost per deck.
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$10
Donation to the Historic Districts Council per deck.
About the Collaborators
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THE BROOKLYN STUDIO
Learn More about The Brooklyn StudioThe Brooklyn Studio is an architecture and interior design firm committed to restoring and enhancing New York City’s historic fabric. Founded in 1997, The Brooklyn Studio specializes in the rehabilitation of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century rowhouses. Over the last twenty-six years, the firm has rehabilitated more than 135 rowhouses in twenty historic districts throughout New York City.
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DIANE HU
See More of Diane’s WorkDiane Hu is a Brooklyn-based artist who specializes in small-scale watercolors of New York City rowhouses. She is inspired by the city’s abundance of historic buildings and its diversity of architectural styles. Diane lives in Park Slope with her husband Robert, her daughter Alice, and a Shiba Inu named Ellie.
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HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL
Learn More about HDCThe Historic Districts Council (HDC) is the citywide advocate for New York’s neighborhoods. HDC works to ensure the preservation of significant historical, architectural and cultural neighborhoods, buildings, and open spaces; to uphold the integrity of New York City’s Landmarks Law; and to further the preservation ethic.
Because this is a limited edition product, returns will not be accepted.
Rowhouse Playing Card photographs by Ethan Herrington.
In 2023, we produced a limited-edition LEGO set featuring Brooklyn landmarks. Read more about The Brooklyn Studio LEGO Set.