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Strawbery Banke Museum Presents “Game On! In the Pursuit of Play on Puddle Dock”May-October Exhibit Showcases Cards, Board Games and Their Players in PortsmouthPortsmouth, New Hampshire (March 24, 2015) – On the heels of the announcement that Portsmouth, New Hampshire will have its own square on the Monopoly board come September, Strawbery Banke Museum announces the theme of its 2015 exhibit is “Game On! In the Pursuit of Play on Puddle Dock.”As those following the competition to be chosen one of the 20 cities included in the 80th Anniversary “Here & Now U.S. Edition” of Hasbro’s Monopoly have learned, the game dates back to 1904 and Elizabeth Magie’s creation of the “Landlord’s Game.” Individual and group games are not just a 21st century “Angry Birds” or “Call of Duty” obsession. Games are both fashionable reflections of their times, of cultural influences (think Parcheesi and mahjong), and of the evolution of leisure time and the ways in which it was spent.Game On! In the Pursuit of Play on Puddle Dock covers another aspect of daily life in the Portsmouth waterfront neighborhood from 1695 to 1954. Visitors may remember card game settings in Pitt Tavern, playing card décor on the Thomas Bailey Aldrich House and hula hoops in the yard of the Shapley-Drisco House. The new exhibit, presented in the Rowland Gallery showcases parlor games, toys and the story of how and what people played in the Puddle Dock neighborhood. The exhibit includes an ivory scrimshaw cribbage board from the Strawbery Banke Collection, an early 20th century baseball bat on loan, and ephemera from dance halls and other entertainments. Oral histories, photos and diaries give depth to the exhibit’s examination of the games played, specific sites used and the personalities who created distinctive elements of common play. “Games raise our competitive edge, hone skills and perhaps most importantly, help create community,” commented Elizabeth Farish, museum curator. Game On! explores the lighter side of life in the Puddle Dock neighborhood.”Colonial Americans entertained themselves with cards, dance, needle art and music. The objects they used were either handmade or imported from Europe; and leisure time was scarce. As the state and the city were forming most residents spent their time establishing their households and business pursuits. Time found for playful pleasure was an occasion in itself, to be celebrated with family and friends.As the middle class emerged from the Industrial Revolution, with new wealth and free time, so did leisure pursuits. Board games, puzzles, dozens of cards games, theatricals, athletics, shooting sports, winter sports, bowling, billiards, an endless list of games marked the development of community. Organized sports became a pastime, of particular interest to Portsmouth residents who could join the Rockinghams baseball team and challenge teams throughout the New England states. In the twentieth century, while families continued to play card and parlor games, the penchant for organized team sports exploded. Radio and later television sports broadcasts were popular diversions from War, the Depression and cultural alienation. While Robert Putnam traced the decline of social capital among those who were “bowling alone,” a pick up snowball fight in the middle of a 2015 blizzard in downtown Portsmouth suggests the urge for community play is not yet dead.The exhibit is open daily, 10 am to 5 pm, May 1 through October 31, 2015. Admission is included in the regular daily Museum admission. For more information, visit or call 603-433-1100. Strawbery Banke Museum (), is a 501c3 non-profit founded in 1958 to save a 10-acre site and the historic downtown core of Portsmouth, New Hampshire from urban renewal. The authentic 10-acre outdoor history museum is dedicated to bringing 300* years of American history to life. The Museum is a place for children, adults, multigenerational families and groups to gather to explore heritage gardens, historic buildings and crafts, preservation programs, hands-on activities, the stories told by costumed role-players and the changing exhibits that offer hours of fun and discovery.? ................
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