Bonanza is a Michigan Rummy board game played on a large cloth or board with chips and a deck of cards. Parker Brothers issued the game in 1936 featuring a prominent box illustration by New Yorker cartoonist Peter Arno. A mustachioed gambler in top hat and bow tie is shown with six stacks of chips—his winnings—and the requisite deck of cards. The game was also published in several editions or variants in 1941, 1942, and 1946. These editions may explain the different colored boxes and cloths that can be found in the secondhand market today.
The first we'll look at has Arno's box cover printed in red:
The box and illustration in blue:
And finally the box published in green:
In 1964, Parker Brothers reissued the game with a cover photograph of characters from the popular television series "Bonanza" which first aired in 1959 and which coincidentally had the same name. The box read "as played by the Cartwrights at their Ponderosa ranch." How's that for a product tie-in?
A few more details are provided below from various recent eBay sales. Then it's game on!
The edition with the box printed in blue has a dark cloth board:
And finally there is one more example printed in green:
Note: I'm not at all certain whether the different box colors correspond to the editions issued in different years. It's also possible there might be other colors out there that I have missed. Readers with further information on the board game Bonanza are welcome to chime in. I would also like to hear from anyone with the original Arno art or with other examples of published games he may have contributed to.
Peter Arno
Attempted Bloggery's High Stakes Index
The first we'll look at has Arno's box cover printed in red:
The box and illustration in blue:
And finally the box published in green:
 |
| Bonanza Peter Arno |
In 1964, Parker Brothers reissued the game with a cover photograph of characters from the popular television series "Bonanza" which first aired in 1959 and which coincidentally had the same name. The box read "as played by the Cartwrights at their Ponderosa ranch." How's that for a product tie-in?
 |
| Bonanza (1964) |
 |
| Peter Arno eBay Listing Ended March 22, 2020 |
 |
| Peter Arno eBay Item Description |
The edition with the box printed in blue has a dark cloth board:
|
| Bonanza Peter Arno |
|
| Bonanza Peter Arno |
Note: I'm not at all certain whether the different box colors correspond to the editions issued in different years. It's also possible there might be other colors out there that I have missed. Readers with further information on the board game Bonanza are welcome to chime in. I would also like to hear from anyone with the original Arno art or with other examples of published games he may have contributed to.
Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
Peter Arno
Attempted Bloggery's High Stakes Index
03272
No comments:
Post a Comment