Lapuanpeli board game (1930) as participatory topical media and media historical source
Abstract
In this article, we investigate the Finnish board game Lapuanpeli (1930), designed by an artist Monica Ehrström and published by the Kuvataide division of the F. Tilgmann publishing house. The game depicts the Peasant March demonstration, organized by the far-right Lapuanliike movement in Helsinki on 7 July 1930. Even though it was not uncommon for a Finnish board game to represent current events (i.e. wars), the portrayal of a political demonstration is an exceptional case. We analyze Lapuanpeli as an example of topical media, as well as an important source for historical research. We study the context behind the publishing of the game, and provide a close reading focused on the in-game depiction of the Peasant March. We arrive at the conclusion that Lapuanpeli is not an accurate documentation of the events that took place on 7 July 1930, but rather a reimagined and playful representation of the demonstration aimed at creating a patriotic product for a specific target audience.
Keywords: board games, Peasant March, right-wing radicalism, media history, popular culture
