VINTAGE GAMES
Games
with balls have a long history. Small glass, marble-like balls have
been known for some 3,000 years from the Mediterranean area, though
there is evidence that they were used in religious ceremonies rather
than as toys. The first European marbles to be used as playthings
appeared in Venice in the 14th century. They were made in both
transparent and opaque glass of different colours and incorporated
some of the innovative glass decorative techniques that the Venetian
glass makers are well- known for, including
latticinio
- coloured strands inside the glass - and the decorative use of air
bubbles. They ranged in size from 1 cm (i in) to 5 cm (2 in) in
diameter.
Glass
marbles did not become popular in the rest of Europe until the 18th
century and even then many of the marbles were imported from Venice.
Later in the century marbles in the Venetian-style were made in
France, Germany, England and the Low Countries.
As
well as glass marbles many other types were made in the 18th and 19th
centuries, including Dutch 'stonies' made from Coburg stone in
Germany, Chinamen - large ceramic marbles with black and white bands
- and 'bouncers', cricket-ball size marbles made in Sunderland,
England, around 1850. The game of marbles was at its most popular
around 1870.
Some
of the prettiest balls are the porcelain carpet balls which were
rolled along the corridors of stately homes in the 17th century.
However, a ball often requires something else with it and in medieval
games one
finds
a trap and ball, cup and ball, and bat and ball.
Hoops
were mostly for boys in medieval days, but battledore and shuttlecock
was played by both boys and girls, the same with diabolo and the much
more ancient game of yoyo.
At
the end of the 18th century small books appeared extolling obedience
to one's parents, and picture cards issued in 1788 also had a moral
purpose, for it had been said that many indoor games promoted
cunning. In 1815 alphabet cards appeared, and there were sets of
ivory letters to help with reading. Some of the books were less than
5 cm (2 in) high and only 35 mm (1£ in) wide.
VINTAGE GAMES |
The
Victorians and Edwardians enjoyed playing cards and other indoor
pastimes. Board games were numerous on both sides of the Atlantic and
lucky children shared improving games with their parents. Jig-saw
puzzles and picture alphabets taught them much, and many historical
facts were learned effortlessly. It was quite usual for a five-year-
old child to read.
A
card game popular among adults in the 19th century was the 'question
and answer' game with the question on one card and the answer on
another. When placed in the correct sequence a complete story would
reveal itself. A children's card game designed along similar lines
was 'Welcome Intruder' which appeared after 1815.
The
first attempt at light-heated rather than educational card games was
by Anne W. Abbott of Beverly, Massachusetts, who devised a card game
based on a character called Dr Busby. She eventually sold the idea
and it first appeared on the market in 1843. Happy Families was
played in Britain from 1861 while Animal Grab made its debut in 1890.
VINTAGE GAMES |
Like
puzzles, many board games of the 19th century were based on Oriental
games. Fox and Geese is probably the best-known of these and it first
reached Europe in the late 17th century. Variations on the game
include Officers and Sepoys, and Asalto.
VINTAGE GAMES |
The
first dissected puzzles were maps. The pieces were large, often being
cut around the actual county or country and there was a guide sheet
to follow.
The
first board game published by Milton Bradley in the United States
also had a moral tone. This was The Checkered Game of Life, which
came in 1860. Many of the later games were based on banking and
earning money such as The Business of Going to Work, and later still
Monopoly.
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