“The Game of Birds” was published in 1897 by the Cincinnati Game Co.  That was, of course, before we killed all the passenger pigeons. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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We have another “Old Maid” deck, the 30th in our survey.  This one came to me without box, date, or name of publisher; the cards are perforated, so they were probably sold as a sheet.  Sad Sam is joined by such cheerfully derogatory characterizations as Fat Fanny, Jitterbug, Sissy, and Uncle Rube; a couple of […]

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One card from an old “Snap” deck: no date or publisher given.  Vivid colors! (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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“How Silas Popped the Question,” published in 1915 by Parker Brothers, was another precursor of “Mad Libs,” like the other early games “Dr. Quack” and “Peter Coddle.”  One player reads the story of Silas’s attempts to overcome his shyness and propose to Sally, and the others read cards giving his many unromantic attempts at conversation.  […]

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This “Crazy Eights” deck comes with no indication of date or publisher.  It has perforated edges, so maybe it was sold as a sheet.  It bears images of animals carrying numerals: raccoon, bear, rabbit, pig, squirrel, lamb, duck, and kitten.  For some reason, the first four are set against a yellow background, and the last […]

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“Animal Families” was published by the venerable Austrian firm Piatnik; no date is given.  The artwork is, however, credited: “After the original paintings by Hubert Lechner (Vienna Academy).” There are ten “families”: Deer, Domestic Animals, Fresh-Water Fish, Salt-Water Fish, African Animals, Birds of Prey, Parrots, Humming-Birds, Finches, and Indian Animals.  A curious system of classification, […]

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I’m going to return to posting children’s card games.  Maybe I’ll post another 200.  For those who came in late, my interest is in the anonymous graphics and cultural footnotes found in this most disposable of genres. The gentleman above is from a deck of “Snap,” undated, and identified only as “British Manufacture.”  Cursory research […]

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“Fan-Tel,” issued in 1937 by Schoenhut, wasn’t really a deck of fortune telling cards.  It consisted of 48 wooden slats, each illustrated with a symbolic picture.  You selected 14 of them, and assembled them into a fan, holding them together with a metal bolt.  You then interpreted the result, using the guide provided.  For these […]

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“The Secret Practices and the Tremendous Game by Mademoiselle Lenormand,” published by B. P. Grimaud, is unusually complex: 54 oversize cards, containing a wealth of graphic and divinatory information, accompanied by a 180-page book of instructions. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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“Dimija Solitaire,” published in 1953 by Lalla Maples, of Brookhaven, GA, added interpretations to a standard deck of playing cards.  It also came with an instructional booklet, and with the rules for the game of Dimija.  The name itself is not explained. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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