Mercury Maze
Maze Puzzle
1978 (designed), 1978 (manufactured)
1978 (designed), 1978 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Mercury Maze, Game of Skill was designed by Loncraine Broxton & Partners in England in 1978. The company won a number of Design Council Awards in the early 1980s for their plastic puzzles and games such as Mindbenders and Aquabatics. These puzzles were aimed at older children and teenagers, as well as adults and families in general.
The aim of the game is to rotate and tilt the puzzle to get the silver blob of mercury into the centre of the maze. It is a late example of the use of mercury in a game aimed at children and young people. Mercury is known to be toxic and hazardous to health and the environment, and is consequently banned or restricted from use in manufacturing. Similar maze games now use a ball-bearing or something similar instead of mercury.
The aim of the game is to rotate and tilt the puzzle to get the silver blob of mercury into the centre of the maze. It is a late example of the use of mercury in a game aimed at children and young people. Mercury is known to be toxic and hazardous to health and the environment, and is consequently banned or restricted from use in manufacturing. Similar maze games now use a ball-bearing or something similar instead of mercury.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Mercury Maze (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Moulded plastic |
| Brief description | Mercury Maze puzzle, designed by Loncraine Broxton & Partners Ltd, England, 1978. |
| Physical description | Circular shaped puzzle with a black plastic base and clear top. The maze inside is silver and shaped like a cube. There is a small blob of mercury contained within the plastic shell of the game. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'LONCRAINE BROXTON & PARTNERS LTD © 1978 ENGLAND / MERCURY MAZE TM GAME OF SKILL' (Moulded into a circle on the back of the game) |
| Credit line | Given by Caroline Kitchener |
| Object history | The puzzle was owned and played with by Roy and Caroline Kitchener who lived in Surrey in the early 1980s. Roy could solve it but Caroline never could. |
| Historical context | Loncraine Broxton & Partners won several Design Council Awards in the early 1980s for their plastic puzzles and "mind-bending" games, including this Mercury Maze puzzle. |
| Summary | The Mercury Maze, Game of Skill was designed by Loncraine Broxton & Partners in England in 1978. The company won a number of Design Council Awards in the early 1980s for their plastic puzzles and games such as Mindbenders and Aquabatics. These puzzles were aimed at older children and teenagers, as well as adults and families in general. The aim of the game is to rotate and tilt the puzzle to get the silver blob of mercury into the centre of the maze. It is a late example of the use of mercury in a game aimed at children and young people. Mercury is known to be toxic and hazardous to health and the environment, and is consequently banned or restricted from use in manufacturing. Similar maze games now use a ball-bearing or something similar instead of mercury. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.245-2010 |
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| Record created | April 12, 2011 |
| Record URL |
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