Gentle readers, I will be on semi-hiatus for the next few weeks, as my personal and work schedules do not permit me to concentrate as much on my blogs as I would like. For the time being I will feature past posts or link to others. When I looked at these images, I was reminded of the old-fashioned games of my childhood. Do children, I wonder, still play blind man’s bluff? Curious minds want to know.
Blind Man's Bluff
The above plate came from Healthful Sports for Young Ladies by Mlle St. Sernin, a French governess, and delightfully illustrated by Jean Demosthene Dugourc (1749-1825). In blind man’s bluff, the blindfolded person must first find someone and then guess her identity. Here is a charming description from Mlle St. Sernin:
Le Bon Genre documented the social trends and leisure activities of Parisians. Below are two images from that magazine.
Black and white plate of Blind Mans Bluff, Le Bon Genre, 1803
Magazines with color plates cost more. Blind Mans Bluff, Le Bon Genre, 1803
Jane Austen's World 
Lovely, light little post. I appreciated it. Just right for my day!
Thank you kindly for the lovely post. I hope you are able to return soon, Vic. Best wishes to you.
Doesn’t it speak volumes that Blind Man’s Bluff was considered a “sport” for young ladies. I suppose that was about as strenuous as it got for them.