1876 Centennial Advertising Premium Wrigley's Mineral Soap Lange Lap Game Board

Description

This is an antique lap and game board made as an advertising premium for the Wrigley Scouring Soap Company.
It is marked with small debossed text:
"Ticket Premium Awarded by the Franklin Exhibition, Pa, 1876."
"Many people don't know the Merits of Wrigley's Mineral Scouring Soap for all household cleaning. Very likely after a trial you will use no other."
"The Lange Lap Board, Patented July 2-, ----" -hard to decipher this date.
It is made of alternate color inlaid or marquetry wood, with one curved side to fit across a person's lap comfortably. One side is a game board for a chess or checkers game and backgammon. The other side has a ruler inlaid in it.
Measures approx. 15 5/8" x 30 1/8" x 1/4".
As found. Has obviously been used to transfer sewing patters to fabric, lots of wheel marks. Has scratches, chips, separations, scuffs, aging, handling, wear, dirt, roughness, nails, dents - see photos.
Wrigley's Mineral Scouring Soap was a precursor to Wrigley's chewing gum.
The Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia's Fairmont Park commemorated the hundredth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It had been proposed by the Franklin Institute, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Fairmont Park Commission as early as 1869.
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