Board game enthusiasts can explore the history of games in a touring exhibition at St Albans Museum + Gallery.
The exhibition, entitled Game Plan: Board Games Rediscovered, is on loan from the V&A Museum of Childhood and celebrates the “joy, excitement and occasional frustration” of playing board games.
Family favourites such as Cluedo and Trivial Pursuit will be displayed in the museum’s basement Weston Gallery alongside classic games such as chess, historical board games such as ‘The Game of the Goose’ and other games from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The exhibition, which is sponsored by Taylor Walton Solicitors, features games from around the world and explores the role of design. Selected games of special interest will be highlighted with a more detailed look at their history and influence. There will also be hands-on interactive displays, and the opportunity to discover if you are a gloating winner, a cheater or a sore loser.
More than 100 objects will be displayed, with further St Albans-specific game artefacts on display in other galleries. These include a 12th century chess piece which was discovered on Chequer Street and the special edition Monopoly which features St Albans as the ‘Mayfair’ spot.
To celebrate the exhibition’s opening, there will be a series of free family-focused events and activities including a museum trail, a ‘Play the Game’ family fun day on Saturday, December 1, large scale ‘Games in the Galleries’ activities throughout the Christmas holiday, and games-inspired craft sessions.
Previously St Albans Museum + Gallery hosted an art exhibition ‘Hand Drawn Action Packed’, featuring work from 10 international artists.
Cllr Annie Brewster, the council’s portfolio holder for sports and heritage, said: “I am thrilled the museum and gallery has secured this wonderful exhibition from such a renowned institution.
“It’s a completely different offer to the previous major exhibition and it will be fascinating to see all the historic objects on display.
“It’s also a really fun exhibition and I can’t wait to see visitors getting stuck in playing all the games and interactive elements!”
The exhibition will run from Saturday, December 1 until Sunday, March 1, 2019.
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