Dissected Puzzle
1767
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
John Spilsbury (1739-69) is the man credited with the invention of the dissected puzzle. His were certainly the earliest commercial products of this nature when they appeared in the 1760s. In the 18th century, a more direct focus on the state of childhood led to the publication of both books and games for children. The aim of these was to entertain while teaching. Children were given space, both physical and intellectual, to play and develop. To fill these spaces, commercially produced toys and games became accessible to increasingly well-off middle class parents.
The dissected puzzle was the first of these to become widely available. In essence they were printed paper maps glued onto wood, usually mahogany, and cut into shapes. The idea was that children would learn their geography in a fun way by constructing and deconstructing the maps. This 1767 puzzle, of England and Wales, is one of Spilsbury’s earliest, the others being of the World, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Ireland, and Scotland.
The dissected puzzle was the first of these to become widely available. In essence they were printed paper maps glued onto wood, usually mahogany, and cut into shapes. The idea was that children would learn their geography in a fun way by constructing and deconstructing the maps. This 1767 puzzle, of England and Wales, is one of Spilsbury’s earliest, the others being of the World, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Ireland, and Scotland.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Printed and glued paper and sawn and pinned wood |
| Brief description | Boxed wooden 54-piece dissected puzzle map of England and Wales made in England by John Spilsbury in 1767 |
| Physical description | A circular wooden box base and lid, both made with wide pieces of wood bent into circular shapes and pinned with metal nails. The top and bottom are both circles of wood held in place with metal nails and pins. The lid has faint writing some of which is worn away and the rest indecipherable. The puzzle itself is formed of 54 separate pieces of thin mahogany with paper on both sides. One is plain and the other printed with the names of counties and towns therein. Each piece represents one of the counties of England and Wales (two are missing - Shropshire and Montgomeryshire) with one piece printed with the map scale and John Spilsbury's roundel. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Spilsbury
ENGRAVER,
MAP & PRINT SELLER
in Russel Court,
Covent Garden
LONDON
1767 |
| Credit line | Given by J H Rendall |
| Object history | One of the earliest puzzles made by John Spilsbury |
| Summary | John Spilsbury (1739-69) is the man credited with the invention of the dissected puzzle. His were certainly the earliest commercial products of this nature when they appeared in the 1760s. In the 18th century, a more direct focus on the state of childhood led to the publication of both books and games for children. The aim of these was to entertain while teaching. Children were given space, both physical and intellectual, to play and develop. To fill these spaces, commercially produced toys and games became accessible to increasingly well-off middle class parents. The dissected puzzle was the first of these to become widely available. In essence they were printed paper maps glued onto wood, usually mahogany, and cut into shapes. The idea was that children would learn their geography in a fun way by constructing and deconstructing the maps. This 1767 puzzle, of England and Wales, is one of Spilsbury’s earliest, the others being of the World, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Ireland, and Scotland. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.36:1 to 3-2017 |
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| Record created | July 11, 2017 |
| Record URL |
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