Boxed board game, Take the Brain, made in England by Parker in 1970

Boxed board game, 'take the brain' comprising box lid and base, two box inserts, square bi-fold playing board and twenty four playing pieces. The cardboard box lid is covered in paper, colour printed with the game title and a large photograph of blue playing piece, 'The Brain', standing in front of a blurred image of red playing pieces. The image wraps round onto the box sides. Black and white Parker Games logo is on each box side. One corner of the box lid has split open. The cardboard box base is covered in white paper and has historical water damage to one edge and part of the underneath. One corner of the box base has split open. Inside the box a white plastic insert sits within a brown card insert. The brown card insert is scored and folded with a rectangular hole along one length to house the plastic rectangular box insert which is moulded to house the playing pieces.

Playing pieces comprise 24 plastic figures: 12 moulded in red plastic, 12 in blue plastic and three different characters: 'The Brain' (1 blue, 1 red); 'The Numskull' (4 blue, 4 red); 'The Ninny' (7 blue, 7 red).

The playing face of the game board is covered in yellow paper printed with the game title and descriptions and images of the three playing piece characters. The playing area of the board face is made up of 56 squares/quadrilaterals, half of them printed yellow, half printed orange, each one outlined in black. Each square/quadrilateral contains either text, differing configurations of arrows, or a pointing hand. The game board doesn't open fully therefore doesn't lie flat. The reverse side of the playing board is covered in red paper with snake skin texture. A strip of black cotton webbing is glued along the length of the fold. A rectangular black and white piece of paper is adhered to the reverse side of the board, with the text 'take the brain / PARKER' and the Parker Game logo.

Given by Mrs June Hilley

Even though some parts of this game were made in Canada, it was produced by Parker's affiliated company in Britain, Palitoy, which was based in Coalville, Leicestershire during the 1970s. This set no longer has the instruction leaflet that would have come with the game.

Parker Games was a big name in North America during the 1960s and 1970s. The company was originally established in 1883 by George S Parker, with George's brother Charles coming on board in 1888 which is when the company became known as Parker Brothers. In 1898 a third brother, Edward H. Parker, joined the company. For many years, George designed most of the games himself, and wrote all the rules.

Parker Bros. was bought by General Mills in 1968 and after changing hands several more times Parker Brothers became part of Hasbro in the 1990s.

Printed on box lid is the catalogue number for this game: 'Cat. No. 31145'

This Take the Brain board game was played with over several years by the same family during the 1960s and 1970s. These decades were a boom time for the production and playing of board games in Britain, when companies such as Parker and Waddingtons designed and published a profusion of all types of game.

Take the Brain is the British version of the American game 'Smess: the Ninny's Chess'. It is a simplified two player chess game where players' movements are dictated by arrows printed on the board. The object of the game is to capture 'The Brain' which is the king figure.

B.69:1 to 29-2015