Specially designed and created for the IBM company, the Eames Computer House Of Cards was a commissioned souvenir for attendees of the World's Fair in Osaka, Japan in 1970.
The Eames Office had a number of projects over the years and a close working relationship with IBM. The Eames Computer House Of Cards concept was borne from the amalgamation of two previous works, the 1952 House Of Cards toy and a 1968 Charles Eames Film called The Computer Glossary. Film and stills taken for the film included an array of closeup photography of computer componentry and the concept was to follow the path of the data through the differing elements of the computer. So for the IBM souvenir, some of the best of the close up photographs were put onto a set of the House Of Cards and the result was a great twist on the previous works.
IBM reputedly continued to use the Otto Maier Verlag printed cards long after the World's Fair and the result is that there are a good degree of them in circulation. Batches of still shrink wrapped cards were found even very recently and these too are available into the secondary market.
Unlike the original early 1950's House Of Cards the IBM Computer version was given modest packaging roughly the same dimensions as a normal deck of playing cards with blue background and white font lettering made to resemble a typeface. This was of-course to keep the size handy as gifts for attendees of the fair.
| Height | 3.65" | 9.20 cm |
| Width | 2.4" | 6.10 cm |
| Depth | 0.86" | 2.18 cm |
Package contains one box, 56 cards and instruction pamphlet detailing what each card photograph represents.
Tower made of IBM: Computer House Of Cards alongside pamphlet and packaging
The box of the IBM: Computer House Of Cards and shrink wrapped cards
The Computer House Of Cards with close up photography of internal components
The box of the House Of Cards is the same size as a regular pack of cards