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Puzzle Blocks
In terms of beauty and value for the money, few toys from the turn of the 20th century rival lithographed puzzle blocks. Produced primarily in Germany and the United States, block sets of that era consisted of a wooden box with 20 to 48 glossy, paper-covered wooden cubes inside. When arranged correctly, the blocks created any of six different scenes, depending on which sides were turned upward. The sets were a very thrifty purchase—one set provided six different amusements for a child.
By far, the most common subject appearing on puzzle blocks is transportation. A typical set featuring modes of transport might have an automobile as its main image (also shown on the box lid), with a zeppelin, boat, train, balloon, and airplane on the other five sides. Other popular themes were Christmas and children playing. Bicycle graphics are rare and highly sought after, in part because they have a great crossover appeal to collectors of bicycle memorabilia.
All sets of blocks came with full-color guide sheets to indicate how the puzzles would look when completed. Usually there were five such guides included, with the sixth image appearing only on the outer box.
Puzzle blocks are easy to date by looking at clothing, hair styles, and vehicle models. As for manufacturer, McLoughlin Bros., Bliss and Milton Bradley, all American companies, always labeled their boxes. The transportation blocks invariably were imported in wooden boxes imprinted with only “Made in Germany” or “Saxony,” with a small, unidentifiable company symbol, making the manufacturer harder to identify.
By far, the most common subject appearing on puzzle blocks is transportation. A typical set featuring modes of transport might have an automobile as its main image (also shown on the box lid), with a zeppelin, boat, train, balloon, and airplane on the other five sides. Other popular themes were Christmas and children playing. Bicycle graphics are rare and highly sought after, in part because they have a great crossover appeal to collectors of bicycle memorabilia.
All sets of blocks came with full-color guide sheets to indicate how the puzzles would look when completed. Usually there were five such guides included, with the sixth image appearing only on the outer box.
Puzzle blocks are easy to date by looking at clothing, hair styles, and vehicle models. As for manufacturer, McLoughlin Bros., Bliss and Milton Bradley, all American companies, always labeled their boxes. The transportation blocks invariably were imported in wooden boxes imprinted with only “Made in Germany” or “Saxony,” with a small, unidentifiable company symbol, making the manufacturer harder to identify.
Latest page update: made by jsonderg
, Apr 19 2007, 1:26 PM EDT
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