Question & Answer Card Game: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This question and answer card game was owned by the Copp family of Stonington, Connecticut during the 19th century. During the 1800s, parlor games were a popular way to pass the time for young and old, but this game was geared towards a younger audience. The cards with red text were given to women, while the cards with black text were given to men. The cards could be matched to lead to a humorous exchange, or allow for a flirtatious answer to a romantic question.

The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Object Name: game
• Other Terms: Game; Toys
• Measurements: overall, each: 3 1/4 in x 2 in; 8.255 cm x 5.08 cm
• ID Number: DL.006514
• catalog number: 6514
• accession number: 28810
• Credit Line: Gift of John Brenton Copp
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation.