Our latest event, two short presentations, took place on Zoom, and attracted almost 40 members.
Wout has been researching how we can be sure that many of the wooden jigsaw puzzles sold in the 1910s and 20s by department stores such as Barker, Boardman, Gamage, Hamley Brothers, Selfridge and Shoolbred, were produced by a single firm, Peacock and Sons, although these early puzzles did not include the Peacock name or logo. He has examined over 80 puzzles, looking at the cutting style, type of wood, and box labels. It was agreed that he had had made a convincing argument that a single manufacturer had produced them all.
Nicki talked to us about puzzle cutter Rob Garner, who cut some 1300 puzzles between 2000 and 2015 under the name Amber Puzzles. These were mainly cut as commission pieces and included some 100 cut for the British Jigsaw Puzzle Library as well as hundreds for BCD members. Nicki explained how, by interacting with puzzle lovers who commissioned puzzles from him, Rob developed his understanding of what puzzlers wanted from a puzzle, and honed his cutting skills to a very high level.