Victorian-era 'Old Maid' game could be sexist
Q. My wife and I enjoy reading your column every week in our local paper and are hoping you can help us with this very old card game we found while antiquing. It's an "Old Maid" game made by Parker Brothers. I tried to find out how old the game is, but I have had no luck. There are 27 cards: 12 pairs; 2 cards with no matches; and the "Old Maid" card. The backs of the cards are plain white with some yellowing. I have enclosed a picture of the cover of the set. Also included in the deck are the cards with the images of characters called Hasty Horace, Mike Angelo, Bertie Book and the Old Maid.
Hope you can help.
A. Parker Brothers, who were located in Salem, Massachusetts, founded their card games and board games company around 1883. The game of Old Maid was introduced in the Victorian era and was one of their earliest games. This type of game can be traced back India and China; it eventually made its way to Europe and the United States. Some of the early Old Maid games were amusing; some were racist or sexist. Others featured Hollywood types, odd characters, circus clowns and occasionally verses.
Your card game was made in the late 19th century and would probably be worth $25 to $50.
Q. Enclosed is the mark that is on the back of several very small plates that I have. According to family history, they were intended to serve nuts and the pattern is "Nut Harvest." Each plate is oval and in the shape of a leaf and measures 4 inches by 2 inches. They are in perfect condition. They are all signed within the design with the name "Rean." Also included with each mark are the letters "A K D - France."
We plan to keep this set in our family and hope you can add to the history and give us an insurance value.
A. Wilder Pickard founded his china firm in Chicago in 1894. They decorated blanks that were made by European factories. "A K D - France" is the mark used by A. Klingenberg, in Limoges, France, and was one of the blank suppliers for Pickard. Your set probably had a master nut dish. Maxwell Rean Klipphahn was one of Pickard's most talented decorators, and he hand painted the designs on your set. Klipphahn often signed his work with his middle name but was known to also use "Klipp" on some of his pieces.
Your "Nut Harvest" pattern dishes were made around 1900 and should probably be insured for $300 to $400.
• Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
© 2016, Creators Syndicate