Dartex, The Thrilling New Card Game of Skill
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1938
"Dartex, The Thrilling New Card Game of Skill" is a boxed card game published in England in 1938 by R. L. Smith. Produced in chromolithograph on card using printing inks, the set consists of 38 cards showing a dart board with a score or number, alongside 15 cards featuring illustrations and directions for play. The individual cards measure 8.4 cm in height by 5.4 cm in width.
The card faces display imagery related to the pub game of darts, including dartboard targets and figurative illustrations paired with textual instructions and labels. The reverse sides of the cards are printed in blue ink, displaying an arrangement of darts alongside a geometric pattern. The complete set includes a blue card box and a rules booklet. The game incorporates the signature of R. L. Smith, Caryll House, Cranleigh, Surrey. It was devised to accommodate any number of players.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Popular games commonly played in public houses, such as darts and shove ha'penny, have frequently been adapted into games. Although such games are often marketed for children, Dartex was designed with a degree of sophistication that suggests it may have been created for adults, while also remaining accessible to younger players practicing addition and subtraction skills.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Chromolithograph on card
- Dimensions
- Height (card): 8.4 cm; Width (card): 5.4 cm
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- R. L. Smith
- Place recorded
- England
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Dartex, The Thrilling New Card Game of Skill
- Museum object number
- MISC.451-1981
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.