Newsboys In NY II: Brooklyn Bridge

[ldhenson]

This is a companion piece to my first shadow box game. This time around it's still Newsies, with a focus on a different part of turn of the century New York.





If you're a fan of the movie, you'll know what I mean by the "shouting off the Brooklyn Bridge" bit! At any rate, the object of the game is to tilt the box and line up all three marbles along the stylized bridge.





It's not as simple as it looks. The bridge's "cables" are quite deceptive; they actually do very little to hold the marbles in. Tilt a marble lightly against them and it might stay, but anything more than a very faint pressure will cause the "cables" to flex and the marble will roll right under them.

If I want to make it even harder, I can specify a particular order for the marbles. But it's pretty challenging as it is.





The "ground" is an 1897 map of New York. The bridge is constructed of balsa, clay, and fine chain. At the center of the bridge, I've caught the chain in small loops of wire so it doesn't swing when the game is tilted. Stills from the movie line the side walls, scenes featuring Manhattan characters on two sides, Brooklyn on the others.





As with the first game, it's all set into a glass-topped shadow box; the base is held in by pressure and can be carefully removed if I need to get at the interior for any reason; and the underside of the base is lined with felt.

I don't know what's more fun, playing these or making 'em.

(x-posted to craftgrrl here), pocketshrines here)

Comments

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

OH! The conservator in me just barged in and told me to tell you that you should use archival materials - cotton or linen paper when you print the maps and stills, and you should seal the wood so it doesn't discolor the paper!

Eeep. The conservator in me is kind of bossy. I apologize for her behavior... She just wants what's best for your artifacts. She's been all over my case with my dollhouse miniatures lately.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Bossy Conservator, barge in all you want. I could use more reminders like this. I'm generally careful about sealing wood and using acid-free glues, but paper is trickier. I'm using the library printer since all we have at home is the ink-jet (which runs when wet), and they don't let us bring in our own paper. I think. I ought to double-check.