There is no information available about The Hillson Company, Boston. Their sets, marketed in the twenties, however tell a lot.
The boxes for instance feature a different version of an elaborate illustrated logo. Each with the identical opening ‘Hillson’s Mandarin Game known in China as…’ followed by a variety of names. One set even lacks an added name. The characters and images on the tiles of the Hillson’s sets are obviously ‘borrowed’ from various manufacturers. The Bamboo 1 for example differs from set tot set. The sets mostly lack spare tiles.
Milton Bradley (1836-1911) is considered the inventor of the American board games.His enterprise The Milton Bradley Company,
nicknamed ‘Makers of the Worlds Best Games’ launched a series of Mah Jongg sets in 1923.
The cardboard boxes were pasted with bogus-Chinese texture paper. On top a deliberately torn sticker with Chinese characters. And in front the characteristic silk tassel.
The cardboard boxes were pasted with bogus-Chinese texture paper. On top a deliberately torn sticker with Chinese characters. And in front the characteristic silk tassel.
The tiles were imprinted with the company’s version of characters and images. They were shown in the instruction manual ©1923. With a cover made of the same paper as the box.