“The House That Jack Built” has long been a dependable bit of children’s entertainment. It’s also been the basis for a number of games, including this one. There’s no date to be found, but it looks to be from sometime around 1900. I like the cat’s quizzical expression and dignified posture: somewhat cartoony, but not […]

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Step inside. Some friends who, like me, frequent that bane of productivity, Facebook, alerted me to a piece recently published in the New York Times, about the short-lived Greenwich Village Bookshop and its very special door. The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas has created a wonderful website for this relic, so that […]

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“Concentration: Wildlife Edition” was “An Entertaining and Approved Educational Game” from the National Wildlife Federation.  It featured some lovely lush wildlife paintings, as well as a booklet giving details on the animals.  And, of course, you could play “Concentration” with the cards, turning them up two at a time to make pairs. (Posted by Doug […]

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“Squadron Scramble” was an “Authorized Air Youth Game, Approved by the National Aeronautic Association.”  It was published sometime in World War II by Whitman.  American, British, Japanese, and German aircraft were shown from the top, side, and front.  You collected three of a kind; and tried not to get stuck with a “Keep ’em Flying” […]

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“Animalloys” was a set of cigarette cards from the Imperial Tobacco Company, of Great Britain and Ireland.  Each card had 1/3 of an animal on it; you could combine them to produce new and unusual creatures.  This is an alligator, armadillo, and buffalo.  I assume that Dad was supposed to give these to the kids, […]

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In 1953, the Albany Times-Union published a set of “Lucky Safety Cards.”  If you got the right number, you won $5000, which I suppose taught children about the numbers racket.  Hans and Fritz were probably not the best spokesmen for safety and obedience. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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“The Great Composers” was like “Authors,” but with music.  This particular edition was published by Merrimack Publishing, as “an exact replica of the antique original.”  I enjoy Weber’s music, but I must admit I’ve never heard “Euryanthe.” (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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This one is more of a card game about children than for children.  Applying humorous interpretations to infants’ grimaces is a publishing staple; here all of the captions are about card-playing.  The result was used to promote a Buick dealership in Greenfield.  The world boasts many Greenfields; thanks to search engines, I can tell you […]

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“3D Trading Cards” were such a lowball timewaster that they carried no date, copyright, or indication of publisher.  They came in a little cardboard holder that touted them as “DIFFERENT” and “EDUCATIONAL.”  I do like to think of the kids peering at stereo photos of the Pyramid to the Sun God. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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Attention: we have another “Old Maid.”  This one is a 1975 offering from Western Publishing.  It uses the same artwork as one of our earlier examples — but a different Old Maid. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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