Le Cirque Board Game

This board game takes the circus as a setting for a game in which players draw cards to move horse-shaped game pieces around a series of numbered concentric circles, racing to be the first to pass the acrobat and exit the manège, French for merry-go-round. Although it was produced by the New York–based publishing company McLoughlin Bros., the many languages that appear on its box indicate that the game was intended for international audiences. The game’s full title, The Circus: A Game for Young and Old, appears on the box in German, French, Dutch, and English. This multicultural packaging likely appealed to the Eameses, who believed in the universality of play—universal in the sense of something shared by all cultures, but also all ages, believing play was equally suited to children and adults. They were also no doubt attracted to the game because of their love for the circus.