Board game - Loto Histoire de France

Rare and ancient French educational game “Histoire de France en Loto,” by Rosenfeld.
The edition is referenced by the Bibliothèque nationale de France under the title Histoire de France en loto, par Rosenfeld. Revised and augmented by l’abbé Lambert, published in Paris by Gédalge jeune in 1866.
This 19th-century pedagogical game retains the traditional Bingo-like principle, but replaces simple numbers with major figures and events from the History of France. The cards thus allow players to locate historical figures by century and to pair them with the corresponding explanatory cards.
The set includes the 24 original large game boards, all present. Each board on the front features an illustrated grid of portraits of sovereigns, military, religious and other historical figures, accompanied by their names and sometimes their dates. The backs are also printed and show numbered grids framed by an ornamental border.
The box also includes 358 small draw cards out of the 360 planned, i.e., only 2 small cards are missing. These cards bear the century, the name of the historical figure and a short biographical or historical note.
Also preserved with the game:
- 90 wooden numbered pawns, from 1 to 90, in a complete set;
- several antique cloth bags with drawstrings, showing a patina and signs of use related to their age;
- a set of small transparent tokens, probably made of glass, used to cover the spaces during play.
The game principle is described in the official instruction note of an exemplar kept in the French public collections: players lay out the boards, draw the elements from a bag and cover the announced characters using tokens, in a manner close to traditional Bingo.
Historical interest
This model is sufficiently noteworthy to be represented in French public collections: an exemplar of “Histoire de France en loto” is listed in the official POP/Joconde database of the Ministry of Culture, under inventory number 1984.1.71, in the domain of games-toys and ethnology. The notice notably mentions the use of cardboard, paper, glass and textile. It is therefore a genuine historical educational game, characteristic of game-based pedagogy in the 19th century, and particularly interesting for collectors of antique games, educational materials, French history or Second Empire objects.
Condition
The box shows visible wear on the sides and edges, with scuffs, small paper losses, and signs of age. These defects remain compatible with the object's age, and the box overall remains in good condition.
The inner boards are generally well preserved, with some foxing, small stains, and time marks. The prints remain legible and the illustrations clearly visible.
The cloth bags also show signs of use and an old patina. The small transparent tokens and the wooden pawns are kept with the game.
Contents verified: 24 large boards present, 358 small boards out of 360, and 90 wooden pawns numbered 1 to 90.
Nearly complete set, with only two small draw cards missing.
The photographs are an integral part of the description and allow a precise appreciation of the overall condition, contents, and signs of age.
Estimate
With the precise count now available, your copy is far more interesting than initially estimated: 24/24 large boards, 358/360 small boards, and 90/90 wooden pawns, plus the bags and tokens.