[2030]from "PH"-- 9 December 2008:

Re: SOMERVILLE BIG BEN

I have 1000 piece puzzle which I believe to be from the 1940's. I cannot locate anywhere the box style - All green with lovely print as guide. It is made by Somerville - not MB - and model S-990. It is in excellent condtion considering age. Title - Silvery Sails in the Moonlight with others in series:
O'er Hill and Dale
By a Country Lane
Rustic England
The Foundling
Mountains Aglow

I cannot find anywhere history on this particular box and model style. Can you recommend or provide any information on this puzzle?
Kindest regards
"PH", Ontario

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from Jim McW -- 9 December 2008:
See no. 794, Page 55 for a little more on this, as well as our LINKS page for a link to the Canadian puzzle website.
Thanks, Jim McW
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[2031]from "LH"-- 8 December 2008:

To Whom It May Concern:

After exploring your website, I still cannot find any information about a Tuco Interlocking Picture Puzzle I recently acquired from the local Salvation Army Thrift Store for the princely sum of one dollar.

From what I can make out between the masking tape that kept the box sealed, the subject is: Villa Garzon(taped area)/Pistoia, Italy; Series No. 5980-J.
Assembled size is listed as 14 1/2 inches by 19 inches between an estimated 350-400 of "EXCLUSIVELY TUCO - THICK, EASY-TO-HANDLE WOOD-LIKE PIECES "MADE OF UPSON LAMINATED WOOD FIBRE BOARD"
The logos on the box alternate between the rectangular Tuco Workshops with the (Aladdin's magic?) lamp at the bottom as pictured on your website and a jigsaw puzzle piece with "Tuco The Original" written within it. The box bottom is completely blank.

It has been great fun trying to assemble this blast from the past thus far, although there are two pieces known to be missing from the upper right hand corner of the frame along the top row.
But any information you can provide about this puzzle's history would be greatly appreciated, for I could not find it amongst the records on your website.

Sincerely,
"LH"

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from Jim McW -- 9 December 2008:
We have seen a copy of this puzzle, but we do not have a good picture of the box or puzzle. We believe the title is " Villa Garzoni, Collodi-Pistoia, Italy ". We suspect this dates from approximately 1950's to 1960's.
Thanks, Jim McW
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[2032]from "KIK"-- 13 December 2008:

for Q&A:

Is there a way to get rid of mildew in old wooden jigsaw puzzles? I have some lovely old puzzles, but they were stored in somebody's basement.

Thanks,
"KIK"

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from Jim McW -- 15 December 2008:
We suspect there's no miracle cure, but try looking at no. 524, Page 38; and no. 1613, Page 100.
Thanks, Jim McW
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[2033]from "DB"-- 29 December 2008:

Hello!

I noticed on your website that you list the Milton Bradley's World's Fair Series but it is not a hyperlink. Where can I find more information about this series? (I currently have two puzzles - #3 Vatican Pavilion and #1 Panorama in excellent condition and would like to learn more about this series). Thanks for your help.
"DB"

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from Jim McW -- 1 January 2009:
Here's an example of one of the puzzles from this series, which we think all date to the mid-1960's.: " 1964-1965 World's Fair "

We believe there were at least three different puzzles associated with this series.
Thanks, Jim McW
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[2034]from "LC"-- 30 December 2008:

Re: Checkmate Puzzle from 1930's by Viking Manufacturing Co, Inc

Hi,Please could you help me? I have recently inherited an oil painting of the same picture as the Jigsaw Puzzle entitled 'Checkmate', discussed on your message boards. I have been searching the Internet and have only come across reference to this on your website. I am trying to find more information on this particular piece of work and we are having trouble deciphering the Artists name from the painting. Is this a rare picture?

Regards
"LC"

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from Jim McW -- 1 January 2009:
We find two citations for that title, no. 1119, Page 72; and no. 887, Page 60.
Here's some pictures of this puzzle.:

detail, " Checkmate "

" Checkmate ", by unknown artist.

VIKING produced at least two or three lines of jigsaw puzzles during the 1930's, notably the popular PICTURE PUZZLE WEEKLY series.
Does anyone know the artist?

In our search for the artist, we found some other, similarly-themed puzzles and discussions thereof.
Among them were the following:
--
" Masters of the Game ", by Marjett Schille, WARREN RANDOM HOUSETM , 1987.
-- Also, a painting by Retzsch, with the title of " Die Schachspieler ".
-- See also no. 472, Page 33.

Thanks, Jim McW
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[2035]from "RK"-- 6 January 2009:

Hello-

I was on your site recently looking for information about the Heronim Hometown Collection puzzles. I found your wonderfully informative page listing all of the ones that your readers have come across, and it was just what I was looking for. First, I just wanted to thank you for keeping such a detailed, accurate list of these puzzles!

Second, I was given eight of these puzzles for Christmas, and noticed that six of them, all of which are copyright 2008, are not on your list! So I wanted to share the names of those puzzles with you so they can be added to the list. As mentioned, they are all copyright 2008, and are all in the small boxes. Here are their names:
Brown Derby
Cape Cod Beach Party
Lone Cypress
River Walk
Scotty's Castle
Solvang

I hope you find this information helpful! Thank you again for maintaining such a wonderfully informative site.

Sincerely,
"RK"

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from Jim McW -- 7 January 2009:
Thanks for the kind words, and for the new titles, which we have posted on our HERONIM page, as well.
Thanks, Jim McW
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[2036]from "PA"-- 14 January 2009:

I have a puzzle without the original box I'm trying to find the manufacture and date on. Printed on the puzzle are the following marks:
G.P. 10827, LITHO IN U.S.A, followed by a "L" inside a "G" C.O. It is partially interlocking with a few figural. It measures 11" x 12", the edges are rounded over, and the back is also papered. The artist is Edwards and it is a 1930's street scene with the Arc de Triumph in the background.

Regards,
"PA"

-- Paris scene, title and maker unknown.
-- detail, unknown Paris scene.

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from Jim McW -- 7 January 2009:
Does anyone recognize the artist, the lithographer's mark, or the painting?
Thanks, Jim McW
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from Anne Williams -- 4 February 2009:
GP... and GH... were serial numbers used by Goes Lithograph of Chicago. The company is over 100 years old and still in business.
Anne Williams, puzzles@bates.edu
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from "PA" -- 15 February 2009:
See also:
www.perfectpicturepuzzle.com for more information.
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[2037]from "EA"-- 8 January 2009:

Hello!

I was searching in the net to get information about an old puzzle I got from my Grandma.

The information on the box is:
Rex Vera puzzle
No 56
500 morceaux environ

Can you tell me how old it is?
Any other information?

It would be great if you know something about the puzzle. It seems to be old and I donīt know what to do with it.

Thank you very much.

Many greeting from,
"EA"

-- country cottage, title and artist unknown, REX VERA.
-- box, REX VERA puzzle
-- pieces, REX VERA puzzle

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from Jim McW -- 17 January 2009:
See no. 1241, Page 79, for another puzzle made by JOUETS VERA. We suspect, from what little we have learned of this company, that APOLLO and REX may have been series of puzzles. Anyway, VERA was a French puzzle company, or possibly a toy company ("jouets" means toys).
Does anyone know anything more about this company, its products, or its history?
Does anyone recognize the artist or the painting?
Thanks, Jim McW
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[2038]from "BC"-- 5 January 2009:

Dear Sirs,

I have a few Tuco puzzles from my Grandmother and mother, and I could not find a few of them on your list of names.
I was curious to know the year they were produced.
All of the boxes say they were manufactured by The Tuco Workshops, Lockport, NY. They are all Tripl-thick pieces, interlocking for the most part.
The smallest one I have is 252 pieces, entitled, Subject: Garmisch, Germany, series 950-H.
The next one I have is entitled, Subject: Cobblestone Creek, 350 pieces. This one is unique, in that it also came with a frame, mounting board, glue, and hanger. Of course, the frame is no longer with the box, and the puzzle is missing a few pieces (series 950-H).
Then I have (3) jumbo ones, over 1,000 pieces, tripl-thick interlocking. Subject: Lizard Pass, series No. 2500-7, Subject: The American Way, series No. 2500-3, and Subject: Sunlit Fields, series No. 2500-5.
Any information you can provide me with would be great.

Thanks,"BC", New York

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from Jim McW -- 19 January 2009:
Occasionally, we receive questions by US Mail, and we welcome those as much as the ones we receive on the internet. This is such an inquiry.
Strangely enough, we do list a GOOD COMPANION puzzle with the subject of Garmisch, but our source for that puzzle described the title as " Garmisch, Austria ". Here is a picture of the puzzle to which you refer, I believe.:

" Garmisch, Germany ", TUCO

As we note at the top of our pages of TUCO TITLES, the main pages pertain basically to the 1950's and earlier. We have begun our own rudimentary list of later TUCO titles, but it is far from complete. The list of Series 950 titles of which we are aware follows:
Apple Blossoms
Austria - Autumn Lake
Autumn Along Lake Road
Autumn Gold
Autumn Reflections
Autumn's Embrace
Blue Pacific
Boothbay Harbor
Box CanyonClose of Day, by Paul Detlefsen
Country Lane
Country Security
Covered Bridge, New Hampshire
Cypress Gardens
Do It Yourself
The Fearless Foursome
Garmisch, Germany
Harbor at Monaco
Hunsett Mill, Norfolk Broads
Indian Harbor, Nova Scotia
Last of the Whalers
The Little Milk Maid
Lucerne, Switzerland
Mackinac Harbor
Mountain Retreat
'Neath Summer Skies
A Passing Landmark
Regents Garden, England
River Bure at Coltishall
Shanklin Old Village, Isle of Wight
Sheltered Cove
Thoroughbreds
Thrilling Moments
The Thrill of the Field
Verdant English Pasture
Westport, County Mayo
Winter White Tails
Working the Field

Here's a picture of a puzzle which may be the same as the next puzzle you describe.:

" Cobblestone Creek ", TUCO

We are not familiar with a TUCO offering of a puzzle with a frame, nor are we aware of a series 1200. Is Series 5980 possible?

We do list the following two titles among the JUMBO titles on our LATER TUCO TITLES page.

" Lizard Pass ", TUCO JUMBO.

" Sunlit Fields ", TUCO JUMBO.

We have not seen " The American Way ", as a JUMBO puzzle.

We hope this helps a bit.
Thanks, Jim McW
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[2039]from "CL"-- 19 January 2009:

Folks,

I just want to thank you for the terrific website, the fantastic information and the logical format. I have 19 Charles Wysocki puzzles and I was trying to put titles (names) on my listing. Yours is the only website that was helpful and complete. I was able to find the 6 puzzle names I was missing. and now I know how many, many more puzzles I need to buy of his. They are great. And your site is great! thank you!
"CL"

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from Jim McW -- 19 January 2009:
Thanks very much, Jim McW
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[2040]from "MP"-- 19 January 2009:

Hello! I was trying to respond to a post on your site.... I have the puzzle and would like to offer it to the person who posted the inquiry. How do you do that? Thanks for your help...
"MP"

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from Jim McW -- 19 January 2009:
We try to provide a safe, secure environment for enjoying jigsaw puzzles and their history. Our situation is not such that we are able to act as brokers for sales, purchases, swaps, etc. Consult internet auction sites, as well as our LINKS page, for possible avenues for these activities.
Thanks, Jim McW
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