Game Images, Game Rules, Articles, Commentary
History of monopoly and Landlords games; popular myths vs. historical facts...
A HISTORICAL REVIEW
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1903-1904 - Elizabeth J. Magie, 1904 Patent |
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1903 - Arden, Delaware (Read commentary under rules.) Called Landlords, this game was also monopoly, dupicated from a Magie cloth design. |
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1906 - Elizabeth J. Magie Economic Game Company, New York |
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1910 - John Ormard Heap - Altoona, PA streets |
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1913 - Brer Fox an' Brer Rabbit - London, England. Original named Landlord's Game - Annan, Scotland. |
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1916 - Paul Sherk, Wyomissing, PA |
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1924 - Elizabeth Magie Phillips |
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1927 - Roy Stryker, Columbia University, NY |
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AND PROSPERITY |
1932 - Adgame Co., Elizabeth Magie Phillips |
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1932 - Electronic Labortories, Incorporated |
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1932 - Knapp Electric, Incorporated |
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1933 - Atlantic City Quaker monopoly rules as taught by Todd and Raiford to Darrow |
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1936 - Rudy Copeland, Thomas Sales Co., Fort Worth Texas. |
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1939 - Parker Brothers |
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Guest authors are invited to submit articles for posting
Thomas Forsyth: Magie's summer 1903 version Landlord's Game as played in Arden, DE, lends insight into her invention of the game monopoly.
HISTORICAL REVIEW OF BERKS COUNTY, PA - WINTER 1978 This insightful article peers into the heart of monopoly's folk game years, years that have been cloaked in mystery. It begins some 20 years before the days of Charles B. Darrow, just as monopoly has left the Wharton School of Finance at University of Pennsylvania and traveled to nearby Reading, PA. Well researched, the article includes both personal interviews and extensive footnotes. LETTER by COL. EUGENE RAIFORD - DARROW DID NOT INVENT MONOPOLY. (pdf) This letter was written in response to a TV interview of Charles Darrow in the mid 1960s. (two page pdf reproduction) Darrow had still been claiming invention to the game. Raiford explains how the game traveled to Atlantic City via Ruth Hoskins from Indianopolis, through 'Friends', to his family, the Todd's, and eventually to Darrow. Raiford makes a clear statement, "He (Darrow) had it handed to him on a silver platter." A special thanks to Becky Hoskins for use of the letter from her collection of the Anspach Archives. Please do not reproduce without obtaining prior consent through the site webmaster. THE ANSPACH COLLECTION A 21 page (pdf) listing of the 'Archives Collection' by Ralph Anspach thath includes the evidence that convinced the courts that Charles Darrow did not invent monopoly! By permission of owner, and working with Ralph Anspach and others, this web site plans occasional selected releases from and/or based on these archives. Some will be first ever publications! MONOPOLYGATE Book Recommendation: The True Story Behind Monopoly®. Truth seeker Ralph Anspach brings us a must read book that challenges other accounts of the history; indeed Ralph wrote much of the history during his decade plus court battles. Supported by facts, this story brings us all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and back to Lizzie Magie. Available through vendors such as XLibris Books, Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and others. THE PLAYMAKERS Book Recommendation: A beautiful coffee table book by Tim Walsh. It has a great chapter on the history of the Landlord's Game and Monopoly®. Spanning a century of toys and games this is a great coffee table book for all ages. "THE MONOPOLIZATION OF MONOPOLY" THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN - WINTER 1976 Authored by Burton H. Wolfe - See my 'Recommended Web Links - Adena.com'
You can buy the Anti-Monopoly® board game, read about Ralph Anspach's book, his court battles, and additional history. The updated site has web links for electronic games and additional game history. Includes 'Live Help.' CATALOGUE for MONOPOLY COLLECTORS A great resource for collecting all things monopoly. ADENA.COM "The Monopolization of Monopoly®." (Scroll about half way down Adena link page) Excerpts from 'The San Francisco Bay Guardian' article authored by Burton H. Wolfe, published April 23, 1976. This is good supplemental reading to "From Berks to Boardwalk," found on this web site. The Adena web site is a nice compliment to my own. It offers some additional detailed views of Knapp Electric Finance, among other finds. rare game images, rule sets, and hard to find game history.
- LANDLORD'S GAME - 1924 - Elizabeth Magie Phillips : Game Board Image.
A PEEK AT WHAT'S COMING:
THANKS & CONTRIBUTIONS This site is not possible without the generous contributions of many people who have shown me their trust, shared both their knowledge and their resesearch. A few names I'd like to metion; Ralph Anspach, Richard Biddle, Chris Williamson, Phil Orbanse, Becky Hoskins, Albert Veldhuis, Ronald Jarrell, Tim Walsh, David Sadowski, Dan Glimne, Kristian Berg, Geo. M. Meiser, Charles J. Adams III; the Magie, Sherk, Thun, and Nearing families, my loving parents, my sister Ann, my good friends, and any others I haven't yet named but I am very grateful for their insight, contributions, and endless assitance.
If you have something to contribute, let me know. This is a site to share.
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