Chinese Checker Game - Halma

[Poplarhead]

I was reading the archived article on Chinese Checker Boards and tried to pose there but could not. I had not paid attention to article earlier but reading it made me go back and look at how it was named in a 1933 set of games I bought off Ebay several years ago. This wooden set of games was handmade by a college student from a kit in 1933. I have original documentation with games. The chinese checker game was called "Helma" in this set.

Don

[Steph]

Very interesting.

Why was Chinese Checkers being called a new game in the late 1930's?

This is confusing.

[lstmmrbls]

salemanship Steph,. no need to be confused.

[Steph]

Well, I'm still thinking that the switch from calling the game "Halma" to calling it "Chinese checkers" was after 1933. My working theory at the moment is that if anyone said "Chinese Checkers" in 1933 they would immediately think of Mah Jongg. Popular Science was still calling the star version "new" in 1938.

Anyway, super duper set Don! Lovely piece of history.

How much work do you think was predone in the kit? Did the student have to make the holes himself?

[winnie]

Here we call it Halma,we never have called it Chinese checker.

[Poplarhead]

The brochure says " Swedish Game" for two - but is spelled as "Helma" and not "Halma" . The Halma game goes back into 1800s and was probably inspiration for chinese checkers game...the set is unfortunately packed away ( I would prefer to display but no room) , i need to see if it shows pieces before made.

Don