New England Candlepin Bowling

Susan Mara Bregman

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN:
  9781439671566
• Edition: 0

Candlepin bowling is hard. So hard, in fact, that no one has ever bowled a perfect game. The pins are tall and skinny, the balls are small enough to fit in a player's hand, and the fallen pins are not cleared between rolls. Originating in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the late 19th century and played today mostly in New England and eastern Canada, the game has a rich and colorful history. In the days before automation, sure-footed pin boys manually reset the pins and returned the balls. A long-running, top-rated Boston television show regularly transformed unassuming candlepinners into regional celebrities. And the game has something called a Half Worcester. Author and photographer Susan Mara Bregman bowled at dozens of candlepin centers, combed through dusty archives, and interviewed industry insiders to create this affectionate look at one of America's quirkiest pastimes.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. What’s in a Name?: A Description of Candlepin Bowling
• 2. Straight Out of Worcester: A History of the Game
• 3. Names in the Game: People and Places
• 4. Outside the Lanes: Candlepins on Television and Beyond
• 5. Staying in the Game: Candlepin Looks to the Future
• About the Author