Population
The game of Population was first published by the Fireside Game Co., Cincinnati, USA (a division of United States Playing Card Co), in c.1896
In 1896 executives of the United States Playing Card Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, formed a separate company, the Fireside Game Company, to produce a series of over 30 educational card game titles. The quartet game of Population was first published by the Fireside Game Co in c.1896. A series of 48 cards illustrates maps and population data from the countries of the world.
For other games in the series, see the extra cards►
Above: 24 cards (from a total of 48) from the Game of Population by the Fireside Game Co., Cincinnati, c.1896. Images courtesy Rex Pitts.
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.
His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.
Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.
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