Card game:Lost Heir

The game Lost Heir was apparently developed by the game firm McLoughlin Brothers in the late 19th century. Lost Heir was named for a novel published in 1872, "The Lost Heir of Linlithgow." The book was written by Emma D.E.N. Southworth, called the most widely read author of the late 19th century. Lost Heir is a bidding and trick-taking game, somewhat like the game Pinochle. The game was successful and McLoughlin made several versions over several years. It sold steadily and Milton Bradley, successors to McLoughlin, continued to produce it. The game became popular in Canada--the French version is "L'heritier Perdu"--and was still being manufactured there in 1996.

This version of Lost Heir, made by McLoughlin Brothers, is from the early 20th century, perhaps as late as 1920. The simplicity of the box design is typical of that era.