SPELLING BOARD

Alonzo F. Smith of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, carpenter and pattern maker, invented and patented this spelling board in 1886 for the amusement and instruction of children. The objective is to arrange the moveable letter blocks into words and sentences in the center groove. A guide wire in the center groove insures that the letters are vertical. The T-shaped grooves allow the letter blocks to move but prevent them from falling out and becoming lost.

The Instructive Toy Company was established in 1887 to manufacture Smith's Spelling Board. It was one of the most successful spelling tools for children, sold for $1.00 exclusively through Selchow & Righter Company of New York City.


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