Strange People
“Strange People” card game produced by the Fireside Game Co., Cincinnati, 1895.
“Strange People” educational card game featuring half-tone photographs of people from different nations in their native dress styles from that era, produced by the Fireside Game Co. (a sub-division of USPCC), Cincinnati, 1895. See the back design►
For other games in the series, see the extra cards►
Above: “Strange People” card game No.1100 produced by the Fireside Game Co., Cincinnati, 1895. 52 cards in box. Images courtesy Rex Pitts.
No. 1100 is the first game issued by The Fireside Game Company. Shortly after its founding, the company's name changed to The Cincinnati Game Company. Altogether approximately 40 educational decks were issued. A numbered series began with 1100 and ended with 1131, with no deck issued as 1107. There are nine, possibly ten, unnumbered decks. See also: Game of Fireside Authors►
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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