We have another circus-themed edition of “Old Maid,” this time in an undated deck from Whitman.  Quite the breezy design, isn’t it?  And here’s the Old Maid. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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We offer here my talk on school lunches, from “Through the Blackboard.”  It’s stored on another page, so as not to clog the home page.  Happy reading! (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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“Sky Trails,” a 1951 miniature game from Russell, was a bit more complicated than most.  There are two kinds of cards, Map Cards and Route Cards.  The Map Cards can be laid end to end to show the route from San Francisco to Shanghai; the Route Cards show the destinations along the way.  The objective […]

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We check in again with our friend, the Old Maid, and find her taking in a local circus.  This 1959 edition from Ed-U-Cards has a distinctly cartoonish touch; perhaps an animator was moonlighting.  And here, as is customary, is the Old Maid herself. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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This example of that old favorite, Animal Rummy, comes from an undated deck from the Warren Paper Products Co.  And a fresh, clean design it is, too.  Good work, anonymous artisan!  (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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It’s Friday; it’s time to relax after that taxing week.  Ullage your beverage, and cast your connoisseur’s eye on another specimen of that most overlooked field of graphic design, the kiddie card. We have another “Old Maid” deck, this time a 1935 “Big-Little Card Game” from Russell.  The pairs in this version, are, curiously, a […]

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Our last “Slap Jack” dated from 1935; this one is from 1965 (Western Publishing Company). A lot has changed in those thirty years: graphics are looser; Jacks are slappier. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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We haven’t broached the many versions of “Old Maid” yet; it’s time we did.  This one came from Parker Brothers.  I’d like to know when, but they won’t tell me. Old Maid was always an odd game.  The implied message is that you will become an Old Maid if you don’t pair off; but the Old […]

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“Gris” (Piglet) is a modest little offering from Denmark.  There’s no date or publisher; this must have been a low-ticket toy.  The Danish kid got 16 black and white cards, each with a lovely pen and ink sketch.  I’m afraid I can’t tell you how it was played. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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Spelling Book Poetry The Sadlier’s Dominion Catholic Speller (by a Catholic teacher, 1883), is much more than a spelling book. It encompasses spelling “oral and written,” including detailed explanations of phonetics, pronunciation, syllabics, grammar and syntax, Latin and Greek etymology, and common abbreviations and titles. I’ve never seen a modern speller this comprehensive – then […]

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