riversideca.gov

New Exhibition on Historic Games Open at Heritage House

Published: 9/27/2022




 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Sept. 27, 2022

           

Contact:

Robyn G. Peterson

Museum Director

rpeterson@riversideca.gov

(951) 826-5792

 

 

New Exhibition on Historic Games Open at Heritage House

Riverside, CA – Everyone will be a winner at the exhibition It’s Your Move: The Games We Play at Heritage House through Nov. 20. Historic board and card games from the Museum of Riverside’s collections will be exhibited throughout the beautiful Victorian home, giving visitors a chance to learn about these surprising, nostalgic, enlightening and entertaining games.

The public is invited to “Play the Game: Exhibition Finale” on Nov. 19, when participants will be invited to create rules for a game to be collaboratively invented. Heritage House is located at 8193 Magnolia Avenue, and is open Friday-Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m., with the last tour of the house beginning at 3:15 p.m.

Games on exhibit in the main house and carriage house date from the 1870s and include such delights as the Geographical Game of the Old World and How Silas Popped the Question. The exhibition was curated by Katie Grim, Collections Registrar at the Museum of Riverside. A beautiful gameboard-like brochure will be available to visitors.

Win or lose, people have played games for thousands of years. The American games market commercialized as the industrial revolution unfolded during the 19th century. Advances in printing technologies -- particularly lithography -- and growth in leisure time for many contributed to a demand for games.

Both board games and card games tested players’ knowledge, patience, tolerance for risk, and problem-solving abilities. Games might be all about luck or they might require skill at strategizing. All required social and emotional control to keep from earning the title “sore loser.”

An informative video can be found here: An informative video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPIXo8xQJsw

Visit www.museumofriverside.org for information on hours, registering for free tours of the house, and special event details.  Follow the Museum of Riverside on Facebook and Instagram for more information.

 

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF RIVERSIDE

The Museum of Riverside, a department of the city of Riverside, holds a large multi-disciplinary collection relevant to the history, culture, and natural science of the region.  The Museum has a proud history of exhibitions, programs, and publications foregrounding local and regional achievement.  Sites include the downtown Riverside main museum, Heritage House, Harada House, and the Harada House Interpretive Center (forthcoming).  All sites except Heritage House are temporarily closed for renovation or rehabilitation.  Heritage House is open Friday-Sunday for guided tours; pre-registration for tours is required via Eventbrite.