The objects in the collection represents games which span a time period from Ancient Egyptian to some of the latest electronic and computer games. Familiar games, both old (Chess) and new (Trivial Pursuit) find space adjacent to games normally unknown in North America. In contrast, the collection includes North American games generally unknown in Europe and other parts of the world. Objects are comprised of such materials as hand-carved wooden and bone items, printed paper and cardboard, plastics, metals, as well as electronic media.
Objects include original handmade, one of kind, native Canadian and Inuit games, games representative of other Canadian cultural groups, and games from many different cultures of the world. Some objects in the collection are exemplary of games commercially produced in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, such as boxed games and games in playing card formats.
While most of the games in the collection are either one of a kind or are ones manufactured and produced for the commercial market, some collection objects are reproductions of games that are described in the literature for which copies are not available. Examples of these latter are some game materials once commonly produced by North American Aboriginal Tribes.
Other collection objects include original works of fine art and copies of famous art works that depict game playing behavior. Game playing assistive equipment and furniture designed for game playing are also included in the collection. The collection also contains games which have been adapted for those with physical limitations and visual limitations.
In addition to game materials, the Museum collection includes printed documents about games. In general, these are bound books, reprints of journal articles, and similar documents. Some of these Archive documents are available on-line on this Website. To view a list of these on-line documents click on the item to "Archived Documents" in the left panel.
Last update June 26, 2009