I was excited to come across this deck at Brimfield and, because I've had a few single cards over the years, to know just what I was looking at. Commonly understood as the first mass produced American card game, Dr. Busby was created by Anne W. Abbott of Beverly, MA in 1843, and was produced, by stationer W. & S.B. Ives of Salem, who acquired the rights from her, as THE IMPROVED AND ILLUSTRATED GAME OF DR. BUSBY. And this, from everything I have read and can tell, is the the very first edition produced, in that same year.
Lots more about Dr. Busby, Anne W. Abbott (a magazine editor, literary reviewer, and author in addition to being a game designer), and W. & S.B. Ives (very much a pioneer the American board and card game industry) out there.
Here, the complete deck of 20 hand-colored wood-engraved cards in brown cloth-covered sleeve with printed green paper title piece at front and “Directions” on back. The cards are divided into four suits, which players try to capture by remembering and requesting them from neighbors’ hands by turn. Suits are indicated by symbols in the upper-right corners: a mortar and pestle, a pan of milk, an eye, or a spade. A great and special feeling piece of history--and really hard to beat that eye card, especially!!!
Complete deck of hand-colored cards in original sleeve. Cards measure 2" x 3 1/2". Plenty of wear to them as evident, but all are in one piece. Creases on some and small losses as pictured, but stable and not fragile and one could certainly play with them. A rare find.
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