The polio epidemic of the first half of the 20th century created panic in the public and the hardships of caring for someone with the disease were only made worse by the fact that many cases were presenting in children. patent #1,834,580 and was installed in New York’s Bellevue Hospital,where it was used on polio patients suffering from chest paralysis.#harvard #harvardmedical #harvardmedicalschool #harvmed #harvardmed #cambridge #boston #massachusetts #ny #newyork #nyc #newyorkcity #manhattan #bellevuehospital #bellevue #polio #ironlung #salk #jonassalk #drinker #phillipdrinker #louisshaw #louisagassizshaw #shaw #1920s #20s #1927Ī post shared by ushistorytoday on at 1:04pm PDT Harvard Medical School researchers Phillip Drinker and Louis Agassiz Shaw device the first modern respirator. After having been sequestered in a San Diego polio ward herself, Abbott was searching for a way to keep the children of the polio ward happy and entertained across the many weeks and months they’d be required to stay there. These two facets together make this game much hated by adults, who have to suffer through a game devoid of strategy that could go on for more than an hour.īut, these aspects of the game were intentional design choices made by the creator of Candy Land, Eleanor Abbott.

At the same time, the rules of the game are simple enough for even young children to understand.

If you grew up playing Candy Land then you already know that game can go on for a quite a while. All of the enticement of sugar, combined with the simplicity of the game conceal today why and how the game was created in the first place: to entertain children on polio wards. Entranced by a mythical dimension of sweets, kids often gravitate towards the brightly-colored box and game pieces. The popular game focuses on a world made of chocolate and gumdrops, much like the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory would decades later. Since the 1950s Candy Land has been a staple in the game closets of schools and homes alike.

Dora candy land board game