My dad, Ralph Kent, Disney’s keeper of the mouse, passed last year. He was an artist, a designer of uncountable products, a lover of games, a terrible punster, and a collector of mammoth proportion.
His chess set collection alone took up an entire spare bedroom. I mean stacked floor to ceiling with squeezeways to access them. He only could display maybe twenty or thirty at a time. They, along with his collections of other games (some dating to the fifteenth century), Disney memorabilia, books, and Irish pub stuff were his retirement fund.
After forty-one years this Disney Legend retired in 2004. Due to severe health problems spanning the last eight years he died in 2007. My mom, left with medical and personal debts is now having to sell off some of his collection.
This set, a basic Staunton set, was one of his favorite playing sets. She gave it to me last week. There are chips here and there from the last 150 years of play, but it is beautifully carved, nicely weighted and feels good to hold. This set will keep Ralphee-Boy within arms reach for the rest of my life.
-- Please visit me at http://dustynewt.com
7 comments so far
HokieMojo
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1140 posts in 621 days
posted 530 days ago
This is great. You can imagine how many people have enjoyed it over the years. I hope you continue to use it (gently) (-:
stanley2
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278 posts in 689 days
posted 530 days ago
A keepsake that, I’m sure, will trigger many happy memories. Are you going to make a suitable board to play on?
-- Phil in British Columbia
dustynewt
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447 posts in 756 days
posted 530 days ago
Phil - My dad had over a thousand boards. My mother is looking for an appropriate one for me as she inventories everything.
I do, however, have the Disney set he designed with Mickey and Minnie as king and queen that I need to made a board for. It will have to be about 36” square as it is a large set. I’m trying to devise a combination display/board that can be hung on the wall with a glass enclosure so the pieces don’t collect dust too badly.
Any suggestions?
-- Please visit me at http://dustynewt.com
RAH
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413 posts in 770 days
posted 529 days ago
I have always enjoyed chess and different sets, I have a few of my own. I have in my head for a wall display consisting of half a board with a mirror behind it so it would look like a complete set after setting up half the pieces. The rest of the pieces would be in a drawer below the board. This way you could display your pieces and it would not stick out from the wall to far. I have it drawn out with the frame of the mirror cut out as rooks, someday I need to build it. Too many projects so little time.
-- Ron Central, CA
dustynewt
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447 posts in 756 days
posted 529 days ago
Rah - That sounds like a great display. I’m thinking of a four shelf unit with a board that somehow slides in th back to act as the background for the pieces. I need to try some prototypes. What you said about time…
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EdC
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458 posts in 734 days
posted 529 days ago
WOW, 150 years, what storey those chess pieces could tell of all they have overheard.
What was your Dad’s connection to Disney?
-- Ed - Milan, IN
dustynewt
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447 posts in 756 days
posted 529 days ago
Ed - You can Google him, “Ralph Kent”, to get his bio. In short, he was in merchandise art, design, and training new artists.
-- Please visit me at http://dustynewt.com