Summary

Game names (and types): 'Eyes for Seeing', 'Jennie Jones', 'Mrs Mackenzie's Cat', 'Toe Touching with a Baby' (rhymes)
Alternative types: language play

Typed transcript of an interview with Mrs Cecelia Mary Bancroft describing her childhood games written by Dr Dorothy Howard on 6 October 1954. Dr Howard notes that Mrs Bancroft was born in Brisbane in 1868 and they discuss her recollections of the games she played in the 1870s. The games described are rhymes sung to tunes and accompanied by physical actions and the use of props. They include 'Eyes for Seeing', which was taught to Mrs Bancroft by her mother. The game 'Jennie Jones' is played by the imaginary character Jennie Jones, Jennie's mother, and a group of mourners. 'Mrs Mackenzie's Cat' involves chanting with the introduction of hand, foot and head actions. 'Toe Touching with a Baby' lists the names applied to a baby's toes. A sheet of handwritten music with annotations accompanies the interview notes, however it is unknown to which game it relates.

One of a collection of letters describing a children's game written to children's Folklorist Dorothy Howard between 1954 and 1955. Dr Howard came to Australia in 1954-55 as an American Fulbright scholar to study Australian children's folklore. She travelled across Australia for 10 months collecting children's playground rhymes, games, play artefacts, etc. This letter, together with the other original fieldwork collected by Dr Howard during this period, is preserved in the Dorothy Howard Collection manuscript files, part of the Australian Children's Folklore Collection (ACFC), Archive Series 3. The ACFC is an extensive collection documenting children's folklore and related research.

Physical Description

Three pages of typed notes in black ink on paper. Fourth page features sheet music handwritten in black ink on paper. Text is printed on one side only of each page.

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