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Puzzle

1920s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Puzzles of all types were produced in abundance during the 1920s when they proved particularly popular. This example is a version of a positional puzzle where squares have to be moved around within a confined area and put into order. Numerical and alphabetical ones are the most common of this type but there were also examples that used pictures and people. These hark back to the nineteenth century fascination with misfit cards where one could put people or characters together from a sequence of picture cards, or make up one's own versions by mixing up the cards.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Punched metal
Brief description
Metal positional puzzle made in France for Hamley Brothers Ltd in the 1920s
Physical description
Silvery metal positional puzzle in the shape of a matchbook. The back is incised with bands of parallel lines and the front with geometric square shapes in a step pattern. On the front within an oval is the name Hamley Bros Ltd London in capital letters.
The lid is clipped shut at the bottom edge and when opened reveals a shallow interior divided into sixteen plain metal squares. Fifteen of these are filled with metal pieces numbered 1-15.
Dimensions
  • Height: 6cm
  • Width: 4.8cm
Style
Credit line
Given by Mrs A Casey
Object history
The puzzle has been passed down through the donor's family. Her mother was born in France in 1920 and brought up in England. She spent her summers with her mother's family in France and so the puzzle could have been acquired in either country.
Summary
Puzzles of all types were produced in abundance during the 1920s when they proved particularly popular. This example is a version of a positional puzzle where squares have to be moved around within a confined area and put into order. Numerical and alphabetical ones are the most common of this type but there were also examples that used pictures and people. These hark back to the nineteenth century fascination with misfit cards where one could put people or characters together from a sequence of picture cards, or make up one's own versions by mixing up the cards.
Collection
Accession number
B.261-2012

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Record createdJanuary 31, 2013
Record URL
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