Game of Flowers
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
copyright 1899
"Game of Flowers" (no. 1126) is a card game published in the United States by the Fireside Game Company (succeeded by The Cincinnati Game Company) with a copyright date of 1899. The game comprises printed cards alongside its packaging box and a set of printed instructions.
The deck contains 52 cards arranged into four distinct lettered series: A, B, C, and D, with 13 cards numbered 1 to 13 in each series. Each card face is printed with an illustration depicting one of 13 different flowers, including carnations, begonias, and roses. The reverse of the cards features a printed pattern composed of white daisy blossoms across a green foliage background. Alongside the 52 playing cards and rules, the game includes an extra card listing other educational card games published by the company.
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
The primary gameplay involves collecting all cards belonging to each of four sets—represented narratively by Miss A, Miss B, Miss C, and Miss D—in their regular numerical sequence. Players build up and down on designated starter cards, incurring point penalties when unable to make a valid play. The pack was also designed to be played using the traditional rules of the game of Authors, where players assemble matching books composed of the four identical flower cards across the series.
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
- Game of Flowers
- Museum object number
- MISC.54&1to52-1975
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.