1921 U.S. Playing Card Entertaining pamphlet

This little 1921 publication is crazy! 45 pages of "How to entertain with Cards", put out by the U.S. Playing Card Company out of Cincinnati, Ohio.

It covers breakfast, luncheon, and dinner menus, (formal and informal) how to write invitations, how to organize meeting and parties, cake decorations, food of all sorts, prizes, tables and chairs, favors, rules, with ideas for card parties for special occasions (New Years, 4th of July, Seashore, Automobile, October Nut, Japanese, Chilly, and more!) 

I mean this little thing is chocker block full!  The lead off after the opening is Formal Entertaining, and particularly The Invitation.  Two complete pages, and a bit of a third are devoted to proper form and etiquette when writing and sending card party invitations.  And that’s just for Formal; apparently Informal Entertaining requires a different  set of invitation rules! Take a closer look at the picture on the left.

There are card party ideas for every month, holiday and occasion.  For example under the month of March, there is an exception to the invitation rules apparently:  

“Trace the outline of a rabbit in the corner of a correspondence card and write thereon this invitation:

The Hatter and the Doormouse and the Mad March Hare-

All Three,

Would like to have the pleasure of your jolly company,

To help them celebrate in a manner fit and hearty,

The umptieth anniversary of the famous “Mad Tea Party””

The Formal Cold Luncheon menu does differ from the Informal Luncheon and the Japanese Luncheon, and includes Cold Lobster.  The menu for a Formal Dinner seemingly 9 course if you include coffee in the living room, is thusly:

Fruit Cocktail

Lobster Bisque – Bread Stick

Fish Cutlets – Cucumber and Tomato Baskets

Glazed Sweetbreads – French Beans

Roast Lamb – Currant Jelly – Browned Potatoes

Broiled Duckling – Orange Salad

Frozen Pubbing – Lady Fingers

Salted Almonds – Bon Bons

Roquefort – Water Crackers

Coffee

(Coffee usually served in the living-room)

Perhaps my favorite, which sums it nice nicely, as I can recall plenty of late night Euchre parties, complete with food, beverage…. And entertainment!  The U.S. Playing Card Company, 1921 “How to entertain with Cards” Opening Paragraph:

“There is no easier way to entertain and make certain that no guest is neglected, and that all have a good time, than by giving a card party. Cards may be played at any hour of the day. They, alone, may be the raison d’être for the occasion, or they may precede or follow a breakfast, or luncheon, or form the entertainment after dinner. Afternoon card parties are particularly smart and easy to arrange for. They offer the hostess an opportunity to entertain formally or informally, and with as little or as much expense as she desires, and still be correct socially."

This Item was sold on 12-11-13

The Original Google - Vintage 1918 Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary of the English Language

Pretty sweet, This is a B.F.B. of mega proportions. (Big Freaking Book). Tome, is actually the word that comes to mind, at 12 x 9 x 6 inches, this cool “old school Google” is truly impressive, over 2800 pages (& over 17 pounds) of information and each page still tightly bound to all the others after nearly 100 years.  It also has a pull out folded sheet titled “How to use the Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary”.  The first piece of advice on that sheet is " Locate it so it can be used.  This large dictionary is heavy..."  I'd say that's good advice.


On page 46 is an illustration page titled “Aereonautics”, with drawings of 12 air dirigibles, one of which is actually part dirigible gas bag and part gasoline powered biplane.

On page 2675 is a black and white photographic plate of “The ships of the United States Navy” all have masts for hoisting auxiliary sails, with the exception, it appears, of the submarine.

On page 2726 is a color plate fronted with a sheet of parchment, titled “Radial sections of typical wood” that really looks like the real thing, the Birds eye Maple is quite fascinating.

I have leafed through it amazed. I noticed only one or two pages with any tearing (nothing significant), and the binding and overall condition of the meat of this behemoth seems excellent for such a piece.

The cover appears leather, with a sweet embossed eagle motif. It has plastic wrapped over it, for a reason, which I ignorantly ignored thinking I might get a better picture of said embossed eagle. However in the process of trying I discovered the entire cover on the end of the book is disconnected from the front and back boards, so I wrapped the plastic back on. The ends of the covers near the pages are ragged, but the boards are stiff.

This old book is just cool, ready to become a statement piece for that décor job, a sweet addition to a collection, a step stool, or a heck of a DIY “book safe”!

This item sold on 2 / 28/13