The black cat fortune telling game
Card Game
©1897 (published)
©1897 (published)
| Place of origin |
Design: printed in colours to show an illustration, title and card suit symbol; on the reverse sides in black with red lines on cream card are 24 answers or fortunes, each numbered
No. of cards: 24
No. illustrated: all
No. of cards: 24
No. illustrated: all
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 26 parts.
|
| Title | The black cat fortune telling game (manufacturer's title) |
| Physical description | Design: printed in colours to show an illustration, title and card suit symbol; on the reverse sides in black with red lines on cream card are 24 answers or fortunes, each numbered No. of cards: 24 No. illustrated: all |
| Dimensions | Size: 5 1/8in x 6¾in x 1in (13x17.2x2.5cm) |
| Object history | The four card suits are Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades and the titles are THE PAST, THE PRESENT, THE FUTURE, LOVE MATTERS, GENERAL ADVICE and DANGER. The illustrations are the same for each title group and all show a black cat and /or black and white kittens. |
| Historical context | No. of Players: any Equipment required: 24 cards printed as stated original box with printed label showing black cat and the title Rules: The great games firm of Parker Brothers issued The Black Cat Fortune Telling Game in 1897. It was, and is, a game "for all seasons but highly recommended for Halloween". You can practise this game by laying out the cards and reading your own fortune - you don't even need another player. The pack of fortune telling cards consists of 6 sets of four cards each - The Past, The Present, The Future, Love Matters, General Advice and Danger - twenty four cards in all. On the back of each card is all the information you need to tell your fortune, arranged in twenty four lines. Each line is numbered and you will find that when the cards have been arranged according to the rules, on only one of the lines do the numbers 1,2,3 and a4 read consecutively across the row from left to right. That is the line that you must read to divine your fortune. Push out each card from the page and you are ready. HOW TO PLAY 1. Shuffle the pack of cards thoroughly. Hand them, picture side up, to the person whose fortune you are telling so that he or she can cut them and place them on the table between you, still picture side up. You should then take one card at a time from the top of the pack, and without looking at the lines on the back, arrange them, words down, from lift to right in six rows in the following order: The Past, The Present, The Furture, Love Matters, General Advice, Danger. 2. When all the cards have been arranged you can reveal the fortune you are seeking. Turn over the cards in the first row and find the line in which the numbers 1,2,3 and 4 run consecutively from left to right: these will disclose the past. Do the same with the second row of cards to discover the present and on to the future and all the rest. |
| Production | Parker Brothers, Salem Mass. USA |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.265:1-1996 |
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| Record created | March 4, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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