Elizabeth Hargrave papers, 2013-2023

Collection

Identifier: 123.1767

Staff Only

The papers are comprised of materials used by Hargrave in the design, development, and publication process of board games. The physical reference materials are comprised of research notes and prototype components including cards, chits, cubes, dice, dice tower, game boards, player mats, and tokens. The digital files consist of correspondence, graphics, presentations, spreadsheets, text, and video. The games represented in the collection are Wingspan (2019) and Mariposas (2020).

The papers date from 2013 to 2023 with the bulk of materials dating from 2016 to 2019.

The papers are arranged into two series which are further divided into subseries. The materials are housed in 3 archival boxes and one oversize folder. The digital collection can be accessed on-site at The Strong.

Dates

2013-2023
Majority of material found within 2016-2019

Creator

Hargrave, Elizabeth (Designer, Person)

Language Note

English with some instances of German.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to researchers. Digital materials are restricted to on-site only access with required advanced notice.

Conditions Governing Use

Though the donor has not transferred intellectual property rights (including, but not limited to any copyright, trademark, and associated rights therein) to The Strong, they have given permission for The Strong to make copies in all media for museum, educational, and research purposes.

Extent

1.0 Linear Feet (2 document boxes, 1 small box, 1 oversize folder)

1.8 Gigabytes

Additional Description

Abstract

The Elizabeth Hargrave papers include materials used in the design, development, and publication process for the board games Wingspan (2019) and Mariposas (2020). The physical reference materials are comprised of research notes and prototype components including cards, chits, cubes, dice, dice tower, game boards, player mats, and tokens. The digital files consist of correspondence, graphics, presentations, spreadsheets, text, and video. The bulk of the materials date from 2016 to 2019.

Biographical Note

Elizabeth Hargrave is an American game designer known for creating the popular board game Wingspan in 2019. Hargrave graduated from Brown University and earned a Master's degree in Public Affairs from the Lydon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She went on to work for the Department of Health and Human Services and the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center. Her interest in board games combined with love of the outdoors inspired her to design games with themes from nature.

Hargrave began designing Wingspan in 2013. She pitched the game to three publishers at Gen Con 2016, including Stonemaier Games which published it in 2019. The game's mechanics fall into the engine-building genre. The objective is for players to attract birds to their wildlife sanctuary. Hargrave used research from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the IUCN Red List, and National Audubon Society to support the theme. The bird designs were highly acclaimed for their accurate characteristics and artwork. Wingspan won several awards including the 2019 Kennerspiel des Jahres award for best connoisseur game of the year.

Hargrave began developing Mariposas, a game themed around monarch butterfly migration, in 2018 and sold it to Alderac Entertainment Group in 2019. Her other games include Tussie Mussie (2018), The Fox Experiment (2023), and Undergrove (2023).

Arrangement

Series I: Wingspan, 2013-2023

Subseries A: Game development, 2013-2023

Subseries B: Digital, 2013-2023

Series II: Mariposas, 2014-2023

Subseries A: Game development, 2014-2023

Subseries B: Digital, 2014-2023

Custodial History

The Elizabeth Hargrave papers were donated to The Strong in July 2023 as a gift of Elizabeth Hargrave. The papers were accessioned by The Strong under 123.1767.

Processed by

Laura Boland, February-March 2024.

Processing Information Note

Retained original order for digital folders, titles assigned with prefix, SeriesSubseries_Folder No_, followed by the original folder title, in some cases files received outside of a folder were moved to new folders created by the archivist.