In Southern California clubs during the late 1960s and early 1970s, a specific type of calling card was sometimes used by strippers. These were often small photographs taken with a Polaroid camera. Polaroids were a type of camera that could take a picture and develop it instantly, right there on the spot, which was quite remarkable at the time.
These Polaroid calling cards served a practical purpose for performers in these clubs. They provided potential clients or interested individuals with a visual reminder of the performer and their contact information. In an era before widespread digital photos or easy home printing, an instant photo was a quick way to hand someone a personal picture to keep.
The typical card featured a Polaroid photograph of the performer. Around the edge of the photo was the classic white border that is a trademark of Polaroid pictures.
Adding the contact information was often done using a small, handheld device called a label maker. These machines printed letters onto a strip of adhesive tape. The tape would then be peeled off and stuck onto the Polaroid card. The lettering from an Astro Label Maker, specifically mentioned in historical accounts, created a distinct look with raised white letters on a colored background, like black or red.
These cards were a simple but effective marketing tool at the time. They were easy to produce quickly and could be given directly to someone during or after a performance. The instant nature of the Polaroid meant the performer didn’t need to go to a photo studio or wait days for pictures to be developed at a shop.
