Hounds and Hares: A Chase to Safe Haven

So how are things going today? It's been a slow, trudging, boring, and dissatisfying work week for me. And the bosses sure like to keep the artificial and un-needed pressure on. Seems like much ado about nothing. Time for a fun game.

Sometimes you're the Hound. Sometimes you're the Rabbit.

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Catch the Rabbit

Found this in an antique shop in Maine on vacation. I love the turn-of-the-century lithography! McGloughlin Brothers must have been an amazing business one-hundred years ago. I can just imagine the design studios, the manufacturing processes, and the delivery to delighted customers. Can you imagine opening a present for one's birthday or Christmas with this game in the box? What charming fun!

And my seven-year-old Itsy Bit thinks it's great fun to have Daddy, the Hound Dog, chase her, the Rabbit, safely into the burrow! She has won every time we have played. There won't be too many more years of this child-like innocence. So I get all I can get now. Lots of grins. Rabbit gets first play.

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Game Instructions

Spin the Spinner. Round and round she goes. 

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Game Spinner

Rabbits move in only one direction on the game board. There can be one or two hounds and rabbits so the excitement can be scaled up.

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Rabbit 01

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Rabbit 02

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Rabbit 03

This old Hound Dog is a grey-beard. No wonder I never catch those rascally, rapid rabbits!

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 The Grey-beard Hound Dog

I love the up-close detail and bright colors. It's very impressionistic. Toxic compounds in the inks in those days, I think. In this case, great primary colors and secondary colors. Such hard work and creative effort to carve the plates and then ink the layered images. Occasionally, one can see the print registration off caliber.

The hunters are on the horizon in the distance catching up to the chase following the sounds of the hounds. 

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 The Hunters on the Horizon

The hound dogs are bounding over hill and dale, sniffing and howling.

Picture-Scan  James E. Martin 2014 Bounding over Hill and Dale

The Hounds close the gap but then the Hare leaps away.

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Closing the Gap

Nipping at the rabbit's heels, the Hounds and Hares circle around the wooded field.

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Nipping at the Heels

And finally, the Rabbits leap into the burrow's safe haven

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Safe Haven in the Burrow

Picture-Scan James E. Martin 2014 Big Boy Rabbit

A hundred years old. Not much of this around anymore. Amazing art.