Long before Scrabble, there was Anagrams, and before Milton Bradley called it that, the company called it "Words and Sentences." That name change came in the 1890s, so this set precedes then, and the particular iteration of box label is a scarce one, I believe the first color lithographed version. With over 300 smart looking black on sturdy red cardboard letters, to me it feels like a luxurious trove of possibilities, whether one ever plays the actual game or not. (Brief directions for playing below, they can also readily be found elsewhere online.) I'm not a parent, but if I were, this is exactly the sort of gift I would give my children--and then force them to play with me!
Box measures 5 3/4" x 4 3/4" x 2 1/4". Front latch not working and a little loss to litho label on top of box. Box sturdy and sound and great looking, with hinges in great shape. Letters in very good condition and they seem complete.
Instructions:
In the Game of Words, players draw one tile at a time. The first two players put their letters on the centre of the table, forming a pool. Each turn thereafter, a player tries to use the letter in his hand to form a word from the letters in the pool. If he succeeds, the word is placed in front of him. Players may use their letters to add to another word to create a new, longer one, and "capture" that word from another player. They also may add their letter to one of their own words. Letters in a word may be rearranged. Unplayable letters are added to the pool. Players draw a new tile to end their turn. The player with the most words at game end wins.
In the Game of Sentences, players draw two tiles per turn and again try to form words. Words of only one or two letters are allowed, as are proper names, place names and possessives. The winner is the first to use all of his words to form an intelligible sentence of an agreed length. The rules suggest that five to 10 words forms a pleasant game.
The rulebook also contains rules for two more games, The Block Game of Words (where letters are face up and players can choose) and The Game of Alphabets (where each player thinks of a word, gathers the necessary letters and passes them to his neighbor, who then must try to figure out what word those letters spell).
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