H978.68.213a-c - Alice in Wonderland Puzzles
H978.68.213a-c - Alice in Wonderland Puzzles
From the Estate of Celia Bould. Her family moved to Vancouver from England in 1928.
During the 18th century, ideas about the education of children began to change. Educational opportunities for the young increased and authors wrote books specifically intended for children. Producing tools which helped children to learn, such as printed alphabets and multiplication tables and maps, became a profitable enterprise. The dissected puzzle, from which the jigsaw puzzle evolved, was invented by John Spilsbury, a London printer, in the 1760s. Spilsbury glued maps onto wooden panels and cut them into various shapes. These maps were intended "for the edification of the young" and ranged in price from seven to thirteen shillings. During the 19th century, colour lithography was introduced and puzzles featured a variety of subjects, such as well known masterpieces and scenes. However, their purpose remained primarily educational. Puzzles helped children to develop patience, calculation, and solitary concentration, qualities much prized by middle-class Victorians. These puzzles depict scenes from Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" which was first published in 1865 and which has remained a popular book with children. On the back of the puzzle board are verses which refer to the characters: "The Hatter who is mad, we see/ The whole day long is taking tea/ Because his watch has had a shock/ And always stays at five o'clock!"
child
same for all parts; given for assembled puzzle
| Artifact Part | Height (cm) | Length (cm) | Width (cm) | Depth (cm) | Diameter (cm) | Thickness (cm) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a-c | 26.50 | 21.40 |