Parlor games, card games, games of skill, conjuring, puzzles, and outdoor games, as described in Collier's 1883 Encyclopedia of Social and Commercial Knowledge, complete with original Victorian embellishments

This exciting work presents several sketches of the celebrated writers, painters, sculptors, models, and other impressive personalities. Anecdotes and reminiscences of Hans Christian Andersen, Thackeray, Vernet, John Gibson, Delaroche, Princess Borghese, Ivanoff, Gordon, Crawford, Thorwaldsen, and a group of equally famous people are mixed with remarkable and interesting extracts from the history of representatives of the upper classes of Italian society, or of the humble ranks from which artists secure the models for their sculptures and paintings.

Bring a piece of history into your game night with this collection of fun and playable Victorian-era party games. Victorian Parlour Games is a beautifully designed and compact hardcover volume full of the classic, often silly, games played in the late 19th century. The Victorians loved fun and played hundreds and hundreds of party games. This endlessly delightful party games book collects some of the very best for your reference and pleasure. The irresistible combination of recognizable favorites and unexpected amusements includes: Charades Taboo Twenty Questions Laughing Game Fictionary Blindman’s Bluff Forfeits The Minister’s Cat Pass the Slipper Are you there, Moriarty? Elephant’s Foot Umbrella Stand Throwing the Smile Squeak Piggy Squeak Kim’s Game Blowing the Feather and many more! Each entry provides the original name of the game, any alternate names, the rules, and a brief history, complete with fun facts, notable connections (i.e., mentioned in a Charles Dickens novel, named after a Rudyard Kipling book, inspired by Sherlock Holmes, etc.), and what we call it today if the name has changed. Illustrations sprinkled throughout add to the fun and historical appeal of this unique game book, perfect for gifting or collecting. FOR FANS OF VICTORIANA: Anyone who loves the history and literature of the era knows how much those wacky Victorians liked their fun. Now, anyone can join in! PORTABLY POCKET-SIZED: This handy little volume is perfect to pop into a purse or satchel and take to the Dickens Fair, a historical reenactment, or any game night. FUN FOR ALL AGES: These games are easy to learn and quick to play. Get the whole family involved in some charmingly old-school delights that need very few extras beyond a deck of cards or a bit of mischievous spirit. Perfect for: Game players of all ages History buffs, trivia buffs, and fans of Victoriana Austen aficionados and Bridgerton watchers Dickens Fair and Christmas Carol attendees Family gift or game night host/hostess gift

Have a seat in the parlour and spend a rollicking evening with this elegant box of 50 Victorian-era entertainments. Deal yourself in for a good time as you choose from a selection of games enjoyed in many a Victorian parlour. The box comes with rules to fifty games that can be played without any extra frippery, except perhaps a deck of cards if you fancy a game of Whist. Each game is good for two or more players, with most designed for a group to play together. Card games and guessing games, pantomime and word play--all provide an after-dinner evening of fun, or an afternoon of amusement on the couch or around a picnic table. These games are simple to learn, quick to play, and have silly penalties for when a player is "out." One side of each card provides the category, the number of players, and the setup for the game while the other has the rules so you can keep them handy as you play. Test your memory with What's in Grandmother's Trunk?, where each player must remember all the other items that have already been named. Take on The Poet's Chair by remembering more poems, songs, or rhymes than any other player Perhaps you wish to Pass the Slipper? Then close your eyes as players pass a small object and on the count of ten, guess who is holding it. Be careful not to break the rules, or you may have to shake hands blindfolded, pretend to be a parrot, or pay another silly forfeit to account for your blunder. Austen aficionados and Bridgerton bingers will delight in these timeless, irreverent games--so pour your afternoon tea and get ready for an evening of nanty narking!

An innovative volume of fifteen interdisciplinary essays at the nexus of material culture, performance studies, and game theory, Playthings in Early Modernity emphasizes the rules of the game(s) as well as the breaking of those rules. Thus, the titular "plaything" is understood as both an object and a person, and play, in the early modern world, is treated not merely as a pastime, a leisurely pursuit, but as a pivotal part of daily life, a strategic psychosocial endeavor.

In Supernatural Entertainments, Simone Natale vividly depicts spiritualism’s rise as a religious and cultural phenomenon and explores its strong connection to the growth of the media entertainment industry in the nineteenth century. He frames the spiritualist movement as part of a new commodity culture that changed how public entertainments were produced and consumed. Starting with the story of the Fox sisters, considered the first spiritualist mediums in history, Natale follows the trajectory of spiritualism in Great Britain and the United States from its foundation in 1848 to the beginning of the twentieth century. He demonstrates that spiritualist mediums and leaders adopted many of the promotional strategies and spectacular techniques that were being developed for the broader entertainment industry. Spiritualist mediums were indistinguishable from other professional performers, as they had managers and agents, advertised in the press, and used spectacularism to draw audiences. Addressing the overlap between spiritualism’s explosion and nineteenth-century show business, Natale provides an archaeology of how the supernatural became a powerful force in the media and popular culture of today.