Card Games – 1750 – 1800
1775 - Descriptive Geography of the World Card Game
This very early game, which mentions Captain Cook, describes the geography of the world, which is “divided into four parts Europe, Asia, Africa and America”.
Seas and rivers are listed separately and country description generally includes religion, counties and produce. In America no religion is listed.
Card 56 (the last) is titled Artic and Antarctic Regions – and in describes Antarctic “as.. was formally supposed to contain very extensive countries; but on being explored by Captain Cook, they proved to consist of a body of water, perpetually overspread with masses of ice.
A later version reveals on card 56 that Captain Cook had been to New Zealand.
Strangely the card that describes France mentions Napoleon, which seems as if this card (and/or others that my history is not good enoughto be sure) were replaced at a later date to keep the information “fresh”.
Style of the “S” would imply they were print earlier than 1895
Photocopy of the earlier French card is available.
No maker is identified but the cards are similar to two games published by John Wallis, one printed by J Swan, the other by James Harrison.
Descriptive Geography of the World – Condition / Cards are complete 56 cards – and an “Explanation of Terms ” card which is not numbered / The cards are in very good condition – no damage. / They are in an plain contemporary box
Postage / As postage often changes it will be provided at time of purchase. Postage will be at cost rounded up to the nearest £1.00 to cover packaging
REF: MIS716
£400
c1770 Pantheon or Heathen Mythology on cards
1760-1780 Pantheon or Heathen Mythology
This is complete (only one other complete set known is in the British Musuem). It consists of – a title card + a seller’s card and 52 cards with details of lives of characters from mythology.
Interestingly, there are two cards for two characters (Ceries and Iphis) both different, referring to different incidents.
Condition – Cards are engraved and in very good condition – some are darker and three are hand colored.
The seller’s card Willerton Toy Shop has a rubbed area at the base and 42/6 written on the top RH corner –
The original card box is split down one edge, with heavy wear to all sides, the label has Mythology under the picture.
Postage / As postage often changes it will be provided at time of purchase. Postage will be at cost rounded up to the nearest £1.00 to cover packaging.
REF: CGA500
£ 1750
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c1790 (or earlier) A Group of 22 Cards - Twelfth Night Cards
c1790 – 22 cards depicting characters, who position can be seen from their name, such as Peter, Never Fight, Billy Flutter, Gaffer Nobody, Molly Rule the Rost (sic), Faithful Nancy.
In the style of “Twelfth Night Cards”. The cards are similar in style to those in an Italian book published in 1616 held in Newbery Library. This was possibly a guessing game in which one player chooses an image and the other has to identify it.
It was common for people to use such character cards at Twelfth Night parties in the 18-19c, these are interesting, though, because they look cut up and used!
Cards – Condition / Cards are excellent very light use – 22 cards – three without a title representing royalty (printed in reddish brown on paper – very flimsy) / No rules / No wrapper
Postage / As postage often changes it will be provided at time of purchase. Postage will be at cost rounded up to the nearest £1.00 to cover packaging.
REF: MIS225
£ 450
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c1790 - Set of cards describing wild animals
They are in a similar style to John Wallis Exhibition of Beasts.
This set of cards have an engraved picture at the top and are stencil colored.
Animals are 1-4 predators / 5-16 their prey.
The numbers are hand-written on the cards
The predators are interesting – The Lion is the Animal of Africa – “insensible of fear”
/ The Leopard is resident in India, Africa, China and Arbia
/ The Panthar is African from remote Barbary to Guinea
/ The Ounce – from the East
The prey are defined by speed – Oran-outgan is described as attcking elephants with clubs – “the only animal that uses weapons”
Condition / Cards are good – no tears – a little grubby (the first 4 grubbier than the rest) No rules / notes or box.
Postage / As postage often changes it will be provided at time of purchase. Postage will be at cost rounded up to the nearest £1.00 to cover packing.
REF: MIS630
Sold 058/24n
1793 - Musical Domino - John Wallis
1793 Musical Domino Being a new method of Teaching Young Persons the first Rudiments of MUSIC – John Wallis
This is a very rare early game. The box is dated Sept 18th 1793, and the rules (p/c) dated 29th August 1793.
It is a domino game played with 35 dominos. There are details of which way up your “dice” are placed.
Examples are given showing what is a match
eg so if it is a semi-breve the next player can put down 8 Quavers, 4 crochets or 2 Minims
Musical Dominoes – Condition – 35 paper on wood dominoes (complete) in very good condition / Rules – photocopy / Box – wooden box with sliding lid and plain label on the lid – no damage to this item – slight fading due to age
Postage / As postage often changes it will be provided at time of purchase. Postage will be at cost rounded up to the nearest £1.00 to cover packaging.
REF: JW1000
£ 750
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1799 - Geography of England and Wales - John Wallis
The cards were published by J. Wallis, 16 Ludgate Street – Sept 26th 1799.
The cards contain the information about each county ie Boundaries, Extent, Principle Towns and Rivers and list the details under fixed sub-headings.
There are copies of a 1799 version in V&A, Bodleian and Yale libraries. The printer is James Harrison, Printer, Warwick Court, Lane (V&A and Yale – Bodleian unknown). This version is printed by J Swan, 76 Fleet Street.
There are very small differences between the two printing ie the design of the border, and some numbers are printed digitally while others are verbalised (ie 10 or ten), but the information is exactly the same.
These cards are in their original box with the original rule sheet.
The Geography of England & Wales – Condition / Cards are good, some use but no damage / Rules have been backed onto a paper reinforcement – there is some text missing on the LHS (a photocopy of the rules by James Harrison is included for completeness) / Box is scuffed and rubbed but complete
Postage / As postage often changes it will be provided at time of purchase. Postage will be at cost rounded up to the nearest £1.00 to cover packaging.
REF: GEO102
£525
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1800 - The Elememts of Astronomy & Geography (Explained on forty cards), hand drawn
These cards are a hand drawn copy of the engraved and colored by the Abbe Paris, that were published by John Wallis c1795.
Each card features an illustration and, on the back, hand written explanatory text, which is the same as that on the printed John Wallis cards
For example, several cards depict geometric shapes with a description of various kinds of measurements (circumference, angles, diameter, etc.).
Another subset of cards describe groups (Peroescii, Antoeci, Antipodes, Ascii, Amphiscii, Hetreroscii, Preiscii) that inhabit different parts of the earth.
Illustrations are of men standing on a circle representing the earth. The relative positions of the sun and the moon are shown on other cards.
The Elemements of Astronomy / Condition / Cards 40/40 – in very good condition, in 4 colores, hand written details on the back / Rules – photocopy / Box – of the period but no label.
Postage / As postage often changes it will be provided at time of purchase. Postage will be at cost rounded up to the nearest £1.00 to cover packaging.
REF: MIS714
£ 1400
