Posted 14 years ago
lisa
(41 items)
This weekend, I attended the Gatsby Summer Afternoon, hosted by the Art Deco Society of California. The idea is to re-create an elegant afternoon 1920s party like the ones Jay Gatsby would host in F. Scott Fitzgerald's famed novel. Everything at the party, from the clothing to the cars, had to look or feel like the time between 1920 and the '40s pre-World War II.
Gretchen Burgess and Anthony Shannon of Benicia, CA, said they found this Carrom tabletop board at a garage sale, and the family they bought it from found it in a box tucked away in their home.
Carrom game boards, which came to the U.S. around 1889, allows for more than 100 different games including Carroms, Crokinole, Five-Pins, Checkers, Chess, Billiards.
At their picnic, Gretchen's son also had an antique hobby horse to play with.
We had a Carrom board when I was a kid, although I hasten to add that I am not THAT old. ;-) It was always sort of an awkward game because you had to set it up on a table that was small enough for the pockets to hang down. You'd flick the wooden markers on the board with your fingers (sort of like in marbles), and it sort of hurt. The webbed pockets would catch the markers. I think...
The secret was to place your finger as close to the ring as possible and propel it with a smooth, pushing stroke. If you set your hand back 1/2 inch from the ring and "flicked" it with your fingernail..."OUCH" ! Fun Memories !
During those few weeks between official sports, our high school used to set up the Carrom boards during PE class. It was a fun way to relax and have a little fun for awhile between the rigorous sports seasons. Great times!