Laughing Made Easy
a Victorian card game published by D. Ogilvy.
"Laughing made easy" is a pack of 54 playing-cards formed of four sets numbered 1-12 with pips in suits of harps, roses, fleurs-de-lis and eagles, plus six prize cards. The numeral cards carry a variety of amusing stories and witty sayings which would arouse laughter and merriment amongst the players. There are no court cards. Any number of players may play at this amusing game...
Above: Laughing Made Easy card game published by D. Ogilvy, 17 Christ Church Road, Hampstead, London, c.1875. 54 cards plus instruction card, backs plain pink, 9.1x6.5 cm. © The Trustees of the British Museum
The cards are housed in a pasteboard case titled Ogilvy’s Games, shared with "Lend me Five Shillings". See the case
References
O’Donoghue, Freeman M: Catalogue of the collection of playing cards bequeathed by Lady Charlotte Schreiber (English 107), Trustees of the British Museum, London, 1901 [digital version here]
British Museum: number 1896,0501.1041►
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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