The Complete Card Player by Albert A. Ostrow (Vintage 1945 Third Printing) 🃏🎲📖

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This listing presents a vintage 1945 third printing of The Complete Card Player by Albert A. Ostrow.

This book, published at the end of World War II, is a comprehensive encyclopedia of card-playing culture. It serves as a valuable and verifiable artifact of a pivotal period in American social history. For a discerning collector, a well-preserved copy of this utilitarian book is a genuine rarity on the market.

2. About the Book 📖✍️✨

This book is a comprehensive encyclopedia of card games and their strategies. Published at the end of World War II, it served as a crucial source of home entertainment for Americans during a period of postwar shortages and rationing.

The book contains rules and strategies for over 350 different games, from popular ones like Bridge and Poker to a wealth of lesser-known ones, making it a valuable resource for both novices and experienced players.

The book’s decorative embossed, leather-look binding, which has the title "Hands Across The Table" on the front, is a prime example of mid-20th-century bookmaking. The book's immense popularity was a direct result of the era’s cultural values, which saw card games as a major form of communal and home entertainment.

3. About the Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

Albert A. Ostrow was the author of this comprehensive guide to card playing.

 Published in New York by Whittlesey House, McGraw Hill Book Company, the book’s immense popularity was a direct result of the era’s cultural values, which saw card games as a major form of home entertainment.

His clear and accessible writing style made this a guide for a broad audience. The book's decorative embossed, leather-look binding makes it a prime example of mid-20th-century bookmaking.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

This book is a tangible link to a specific moment in American social history. Published in 1945, at the close of World War II, it embodies the spirit of a nation turning from the hardships of war to the simple comforts of home and community.

Card games were a major form of social entertainment during this time, and a book like this was a fixture in many American households.

As a utilitarian book intended for a mass audience, this book was heavily used and had a low survival rate. Finding a well-preserved copy is a genuine rarity on the market. It provides a firsthand look into how Americans entertained themselves and the cultural importance of card games in the mid-20th century.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book's specific and unique history will appeal to a sophisticated collector who appreciates the nuances of social history. The ideal buyer is likely:

• A Collector of Americana and Social History: This book is a primary artifact that documents how Americans entertained themselves in the mid-20th century.

• A Bibliophile of Utilitarian Books: Collectors who seek out books that were heavily used and survived against the odds will find this a fascinating acquisition.

• A Lover of Unique Bookmaking: The book’s decorative embossed, leather-look binding makes it a prime example of mid-20th-century book design.

• A Card Player or Enthusiast: The book's content, with its rules for over 350 games, makes it a valuable resource for card players and historians of the game.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This book is a unique acquisition for several reasons. As a utilitarian book intended for a mass audience, this book was heavily used and had a low survival rate. Finding a well-preserved copy is a genuine rarity on the market.

The book is approximately 80 years old and has survived its journey to the present day in good condition. Its value is anchored in its status as a tangible historical artifact of post-war American culture.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

• The binding is decorative embossed, and it shows authentic wear consistent with its age, including rubbing and scuffing.

• The pages have some expected discoloration, but the text remains clear and readable.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The book is a fascinating example of a "crossover" collectible that appeals to collectors of rare books, Americana, and social history.

• The book is an exhaustive guide to card games, which speaks to the popularity of the pastime in the 1940s.

• The book's dual titles, "The Complete Card Player" on the title page and "Hands Across The Table" on the binding, add to its unique character.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: The Complete Card Player, Hands Across The Table

• Author: Albert A. Ostrow

• Publisher: Whittlesey House, McGraw Hill Book Company

• Place: New York

• Year: 1945 (Third Printing)

• Format: Hardcover, Decorative Embossed

• Transcription: The book has a prior owner inscription, but its content is not legible from the provided photo.