Day: May 1, 2014

Front facade of Houghton Library

Playing Cards with the Devil

This post is part of an ongoing series featuring items from the newly acquired Santo Domingo collection. The term “devil’s picture books” was used by the Puritans to refer to playing cards in hopes that it would prevent people from using them.  In the book by the same name, Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer gives a…