Japanese Baseball and Menko cards

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Japanese Baseball and Menko cards, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
.1 Linear Feet 1 legal size folder
Language:
English Japanese
Preferred citation:

Japanese Baseball and Menko cards, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection contains two Japanese Bobby Rose baseball cards signed by baseball player Bobby Rose. The cards date from 1999-2000. Collection also contains 22 Menko playing cards circa 1930-1940. The Menko cards depict baseball players and other characters.

Biographical / historical:

The baseball cards depict American baseball player Bobby Rose, who played for the Yokohama BayStars from 1993 to 2000. With the BayStars, Rose won the 1998 Japan Series. As celebrated by one of the cards in this collection, Rose was named the MVP of Game 2 of the 1999 All-Star series.

Menko is a type of Japanese card game that became popular in the Edo period (1600-1868) as well as the name for the cards themselves. The game is played by the defender placing cards on a hard surface and opponents throwing their own cards, attempting to flip cards over through gusts of wind. Menko card designs often reflect the popular culture of the time. During the Edo period, ninja and samurai were common. After World War II, cartoons of baseball players were more popular, as well as drawings of well-known manga characters.

Acquisition information:
Purchased with the assistance of the Special Collections Aquisition Fund.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard