Card game:Game of Uncle Josh's Trip

One of the most popular children's games of the late 19th century was called Peter Coddles and his trip to New York, or some variation of that title. In this case, it is Uncle Josh's Trip. The game's true origins have been lost but it is thought that it was first developed by McLoughlin Brothers in New York, though nearly every competitor produced one or more versions. It is a very simple word game, best played with a large group of children, so it lent itself to social gatherings. The game consists of cards, usually small printed strips, with words or word groups printed, usually nouns. A leader reads the story supplied with the game and when he/she encounters a blank, the first player to the left supplies the words from the card drawn. The play advances around the table, with nonsensical humor increasing with each blank in the story. Versions range from simple to deluxe--with quite complicated printed stories supplied. Peter himself is usually depicted on the box cover, and in this case it is Uncle Josh. He's wearing the typical Peter Coddles outfit, with umbrella and a suitcase. This particular game has some cards with very racist or ethnic stereotype imagery--a sad reflection of popular culture at that time.