A fascinating original 1938 Autobridge self-teaching contract bridge playing board, complete with three surviving period instruction and deal sheets.
Invented as a way of practising contract bridge alone, Autobridge used printed deal sheets beneath the board together with a series of ingenious sliding metal shutters. Players revealed cards and bidding information progressively, allowing them to compare their decisions with those of expert bridge players.
The accompanying sheets include an original 1938 Sample Deal No. 4 played by Charles Lochridge, National Masters Pair Champion 1937, together with two Beginners Series Group 4 lessons arranged by E. A. Mason.
The sheets are printed:
Copyright 1938 by Autobridge, Inc.
U.S. Patent No. 2,096,672
Manufactured by Newscraft, Inc.
Distributed by Autobridge, Inc., New York, N.Y.
The playing board itself also carries its British patent marking and retains its wonderful period array of card windows, shutters, bidding displays and dealer/vulnerability indicators.
A wonderfully graphic surviving piece of 1930s games history, with strong Art Deco appeal and considerably more character than later Autobridge versions.
The board displays well and retains extensive original fittings. The paper deal sheets show age-related wear, staining, edge losses and handling consistent with their approximately 88 years of age; please see photographs.