Three Early Edition c. 1843 Hand-colored, Wood Engraved Dr. Busby Cards, First Known American Card Game threaded 6 7/16" x 4 1/16"

6 7/16" x 4 1/16"

Turning the pointed handle at the end of this scratch-made

The duck itself is 16" long and 1/4" thick

with a hand-drawn frame around it

Three Early Edition c. 1843 Hand-colored, Wood Engraved Dr. Busby Cards, First Known American Card Game threaded 6 7/16" x 4 1/16"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