There are only three cards here, but they are special ones, from a very early edition of the first known American card game, The Game of Dr. Busby, a matching/memory game designed by the Beverly, MA-born writer Anne W. Abbott and published in Salem by W. & S.B. Ives in 1843--which is credited with having started the game craze in the U.S. The earliest editions of the game featured cards illustrated with hand-colored wood engravings, as here, with 20 cards divided into four suits, or families, the suits indicated by small symbols in the upper-right corners, including a mortar and pestle (as seen on the card at left here, indicating the "Busby Family”) and a pan of milk (as seen on both middle and right cards here) for the “Doll” family. Of course I wish I had a full deck, very precious, but I'm glad for this trio, both as lovely things in and of themselves, and for what they represent in the history of American games.
Set of three cards. Each 3 5/8" x 2 5/8". Soiling and toning as evident, as shown. No creases or losses. And with pencil drawn numbers at the center or upper right corners, which is nice.
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