Heap Folk Art Monopoly papers

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: 110.4372

Staff Only

The Heap Folk Art Monopoly papers accompanied the museum’s acquisition of the John Heap Monopoly game board, c. 1914. These papers include photographs, copies of the game design sheet and playing rules, and deposition-related documentation. The bulk of these materials are from 1975. A letter from John W. Heap, grandson of John O. Heap, is housed in Folder 1 and contains information about both the Heap family and the design of the Heap Folk Art Monopoly board game.

The Heap Folk Art Monopoly papers are arranged into one series. The collection is housed in one archival document box.

Dates

1901-2010
Majority of material found in 1975

Creator

Heap, John W. (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

This collection is open for research use by staff of The Strong and by users of its library and archives. Though intellectual property rights (including, but not limited to any copyright, trademark, and associated rights therein) have not been transferred, The Strong has permission to make copies in all media for museum, educational, and research purposes.

Extent

0.4 Linear Feet (1 box)

Additional Description

Abstract

The Heap Folk Art Monopoly papers accompanied the museum’s acquisition of the John O. Heap Folk Art Monopoly game board, c. 1914. These papers include photographs, copies of the game design sheet and playing rules, and deposition-related documentation. The bulk of these materials are from 1975.

Historical Note

Monopoly began its life in 1904 as The Landlord’s Game, created and patented by Elizabeth Magie. The Landlord’s Game, designed to highlight social pitfalls of unequal wealth, circulated informally and by word-of-mouth. As people copied their own versions of Magie’s game, it morphed into what we now recognize as Monopoly. Charles Darrow of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced a commercial version of Monopoly, selling it in department stores in 1934. Parker Brothers soon purchased the rights to Darrow’s game, and it became the best-selling board game of all time. However, several handmade versions of Monopoly pre-date Darrow’s game; the most notable, which came to light in 1975, is the Heap Folk Art Monopoly game.

In 1974, economics professor Ralph Anspach published a game called “Anti-Monopoly.” The game found a niche, and Anspach eventually sold more than one million copies worldwide. Along the way, the manufacturers of Monopoly brought a lawsuit against Anspach, claiming that Darrow had invented and registered the name “Monopoly,” preventing Anspach from using the word. Among the evidence presented by Anspach were several folk art versions of Monopoly. During the trial, Roy W. Heap provided photographs of his father’s game, created between 1910 and 1917, and gave a deposition that he’d played Monopoly while in his teens. The street names in the Heap Folk Art Monopoly game board represent places in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Heap grew up, with many other details of the board and the playing pieces directly related to the game Monopoly as we know it today. Anspach eventually won the ten-year-long lawsuit in the Supreme Court, and the Heap Folk Art Monopoly game was declared the “second oldest known version of the world’s most popular board game.”

System of Arrangement

Series I: Heap Folk Art Monopoly papers, 1901-2010

Custodial History

The Heap Folk Art Monopoly papers were received by The Strong from John W. Heap in 2010. The papers accompanied the handmade board game created by John O. Heap, which was cataloged under Object ID 110.4372.