Description
Folding Victorian Railway Travel Chess Set.
An early Folding Victorian Railway Travel Chess Set. The chessmen are natural and red-stained bone. The accompanying folding chessboard is Mahogany with Rosewood and Satinwood squares and measured 8″ square. The removable mahogany bar is provided to prevent the pieces from spilling out when the box is closed. The chess set is in excellent condition. The chess set dates to around 1880.
This style is often referred to as the “Railway” style, apparently named after the praxis of using these types of sets to pass away time on long railroad. trips. This is a very playable design which has survived well into thew 21st Century. They are available in a multitude of sizes, qualities and materials, including several wood species, bone, ivory, stone, Bakelite and even metal. During the Victorian period, Railway chess sets were produced by almost all the known manufacturers, including Jaques of London, The British Chess Company, F. A. Ayers, William and Thomas Lund, among others.