This week's Sepia Saturday theme is games. The vintage scrap above shows a girl with a stick, a ball and a wicket. Is this cricket or some other game? No mallet, so I've ruled out croquet, but I could be wrong on that count. Here's hoping someone can enlighten me. I found this charming scrap recently, at my favorite GreenFlea on Columbus Ave. and 77th St. in Manhattan.
Board games of the 19th Century had the most amazing graphics. This image (and the one below) is taken from the book, "The Games We Played: American Board and Table Games from the Liman Collection," 2003, Princeton Architectural Press. It was inspired by an exhibit of the Liman collection at the New York Historical Society. It was memorable for the replicas of classic board games set up on tables for visitors to play. The book is large and full-color--absolutely gorgeous photographs of board games.
Pillow-Dex: A forerunner to
hacky-sack perhaps?
I adore this picture, and featured it on my blog
about four years ago. Ida Wyman took this photo of girls playing paper dolls in the Bronx, circa 1948. They're playing with the "Boarding School" set. As a child I called them cut-outs, not paper dolls. Wonder if that was a regional thing. Or generational.
Cut on over to Sepia Saturday to see what other people are playing. Click below.
What wonderful cards and photos! I'm sure that first one isn't croquet. Too bad. We kept our croquet set up all summer. The picture of the girls playing with paper dolls warms my heart because I loved paper dolls and would play with them for hours.
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely have to find that book on board games. As I said in my post, I've got a big collection of games. Wish I could have posted them all! Thanks for mentioning the book.
ReplyDeleteNancy
I loved paper dolls too. That is a great photo. Don't have any idea of the game in the first photo.
ReplyDeleteQMM
We called them paperdolls in Detroit during the 1950s. I think that pillow game might go over big with my grandkids after some family dinner.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. The vintage games graphics were so colorful with lots of details. The girls playing paper dolls takes me back to my childhood. Loved my paperdolls and wish I still had them.
ReplyDeleteI can't help with the game the little girl in the scrap is playing, but Tiddlywinks! That takes me back to my childhood :-) Jo
ReplyDeleteWhat a colorfully great post! One of my old time favorite games too. The photo of the children playing on the stair wells is just stunning!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. I wonder how long a Pillow-Dex balloon lasted. I can see this game getting quite vicious with competitive men.
ReplyDeleteOh, thedtiddly winks take me back!
ReplyDeleteHow About Removing Word Verification?
ReplyDeleteCome on! You can do it!!! Honestly, it really is extremely simple to do once you go to your ‘Dashboard’ (the word appears in the top right of your blog, next to your email address and the words ‘sign out’)
So the sequence of mouse clicks goes like this:-
• Click on Dashboard
• Click on Settings (shows on one of the tabs along the top)
• Click on Comments (shows as one of the words in a line below the row of tabs)
• Scroll down the page until you see it says Show word Verification? There is a yes/no button choice – click No
• Make sure you click the SAVE button at the bottom on the page
Love the photos! We called them cut- outs too, in the Mid west in the 1970's-but my Mom was from New York-so maybe we got it from her?
ReplyDeleteI love the vintage games graphics and also the names of the games.
ReplyDeleteThe paper dolls I played with were called paper dolls. I used to think the books were more interesting than the dolls were after they were cut out.
yes, jinksy, I know, I know. Been blogging a few years. I'll turn it off now.
ReplyDeleteThere'll still be a delay before I post comments, so have patience. I've been burned by spam in the past.
ReplyDeleteI can see why you love that picture of the girls playing with paper dolls. It's very unusual. That book sounds like one where you could happily lose a few hours!
ReplyDeleteLOVE that photo of the Bronx girls. One of my favorites also.
ReplyDeleteLinda, why don't you post the link to your blog on facebook each day. That would help some of us (me) remember to read it each time you post something.
I have never heard of Pillow Dex but I do remember Tiddledy Winks. Fun post!
ReplyDeleteA natural theme for you, this week; and I agree with you, this last pic is precious. While the setting is not very glamourous.... They seem quite intent on their game.
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
A fun group in celebration of leisuretime and play. These early games were terrific experiments in marketing too.
ReplyDeleteWhat else fascinates me about this photo is that it is obviously very COLD out and these girls are playing with their paper dolls OUTSIDE! We generally think if paper doll play indoors, when the cold weather keeps us in. I wonder what prompted the girls to get all bundled up and venture outside and then SIT and play paper dolls. I mean, if they were playing tag or hopscotch it would make more sense.
ReplyDelete