Another fun find today at a local auction was this antique 1905 Milton Bradley Fortune Teller adult parlour game that I quickly listed in my eBay Store, Candabean Collectibles, this week. Games are always popular with collectors and seeing the name of Milton Bradley and the 1905 date was very exciting. Everyone knows the name of Milton Bradley and the classic games his company manufactured; “The Game of Life”, “Candy Land”, “Twister”, “Concentration” and “Yahtzee”. Doing a search on the Milton Bradley name found some other interesting facts about this 19th Century American inventor and industrialist.
For one thing, Milton Bradley is the oldest of the game makers in the US, but since 1984 the company has operated as a division of the world's largest toy company, Hasbro, Inc. I had not realized that they were purchased twenty-five years ago. However, the name still exists, which is a good thing.
In 1860, Milton Bradley began his company with a game called "The Checkered Game of Life". Based upon the familiar checkerboard, the squares were labeled with opposed moral positions, which led to inevitable consequences up or down the board--bravery upwards to honor, idleness downwards to disgrace. The object of the game was to achieve "Happy Old Age" instead of "Ruin." It was a great success. The Milton Bradley Company reissued this game in 1960 simply as “The Game of Life” with the goal of becoming a millionaire. This is one of the first games I remember growing up as a kid.
Parlour games played primarily by adults were particularly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the company produced games with such names as "Word Gardening," "Visit to the Gypsies," "Happy Days in Old New England," and "Fortune Teller." The company also made a variety of jigsaw puzzles, including a best selling line of puzzles featuring wrecked vehicles, which were apparently particularly attractive to young boys.
My “Fortune Teller” game is similar to the original “Checkered Game of Life” in its moral attitudes. The game is played by one person being the witch or fortune teller. The player spins the dial and the card in which the wand lands is read by the witch reveling the players secrets to the group and providing advice to avoid disaster.
We remember Milton Bradley for all the great games, but another contribution and a particular passion was in the education field, particularly his involvement and influence in the developing kindergarten movement in the early 20th century. The basic concept of the movement was children learn through their own creative activities developed at an early age. Sounds pretty simple and the Kindergarten that I remember. I doubt that Bradley would recognise it today.
Bradley's company's involvement with kindergartens lead to producing many educational materials including colored paper and paints. His choice of colors; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet would remain the standard colors for children's art supplies through the 20th century.
For one thing, Milton Bradley is the oldest of the game makers in the US, but since 1984 the company has operated as a division of the world's largest toy company, Hasbro, Inc. I had not realized that they were purchased twenty-five years ago. However, the name still exists, which is a good thing.
In 1860, Milton Bradley began his company with a game called "The Checkered Game of Life". Based upon the familiar checkerboard, the squares were labeled with opposed moral positions, which led to inevitable consequences up or down the board--bravery upwards to honor, idleness downwards to disgrace. The object of the game was to achieve "Happy Old Age" instead of "Ruin." It was a great success. The Milton Bradley Company reissued this game in 1960 simply as “The Game of Life” with the goal of becoming a millionaire. This is one of the first games I remember growing up as a kid.
Parlour games played primarily by adults were particularly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the company produced games with such names as "Word Gardening," "Visit to the Gypsies," "Happy Days in Old New England," and "Fortune Teller." The company also made a variety of jigsaw puzzles, including a best selling line of puzzles featuring wrecked vehicles, which were apparently particularly attractive to young boys.
My “Fortune Teller” game is similar to the original “Checkered Game of Life” in its moral attitudes. The game is played by one person being the witch or fortune teller. The player spins the dial and the card in which the wand lands is read by the witch reveling the players secrets to the group and providing advice to avoid disaster.
We remember Milton Bradley for all the great games, but another contribution and a particular passion was in the education field, particularly his involvement and influence in the developing kindergarten movement in the early 20th century. The basic concept of the movement was children learn through their own creative activities developed at an early age. Sounds pretty simple and the Kindergarten that I remember. I doubt that Bradley would recognise it today.
Bradley's company's involvement with kindergartens lead to producing many educational materials including colored paper and paints. His choice of colors; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet would remain the standard colors for children's art supplies through the 20th century.
I wonder what Milton Bradley would think of today's games that talk and squawk? When I purchase early learning toys for my grandson, I begin to wonder if there is any room little left for the child’s imagination and their own creativity. We use to play contently for hours with these great old board games, many required two or more player involvement. I watch kids today; cast aside the new high-tech virtual items, bored within minutes. Nothing can replace parent or other kid involvement which is why these simple board games remain popular today.
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