Academy Jigsaw Puzzle

A wooden puzzle with random-cut interlocking pieces. It depicts Knole House, painted by Charles Essenhigh Corke. One piece is missing approximately two-thirds of the way across and two-thirds of the way down.

Identification

  • Object Type: 200 piece wooden puzzle of Knole House 
  • Date: 1926 (puzzle manufacture), 1902 (original painting) 
  • Origin: Sevenoaks, Kent 
  • Owner: Private 
  • Maker: J. Salmon (puzzle manufacturer), Charles Essenhigh Corke (artist) 
  • Measurements: 
    • Puzzle: 24 x 35 cm
    • Box: 24 x 20 x 5 cm
  • Materials: Plywood pieces with printed paper image, cardboard box with paper labels, hand-drawn sketch of image on paper 

Summary

During the second semester, I worked on a wooden puzzle of Knole House painted by Charles Essenhigh Corke. The painting was made in 1902, but the puzzle itself wasn’t sold until 1926 and given as a Christmas present to the original owner. The puzzle is made from plywood and uses a random-cut design to create a variety of interlocking shapes. It is stored in a blue-purple cardboard box and has a hand-drawn image of the puzzle as a reference. 

The puzzle was made by J. Salmon who began as stationary sellers but, by 1922, were selling jigsaw puzzles in Sevenoaks, Kent. Based on newspaper adverts, it is likely that it was cut using a jigsaw by 15-16 year old girls as the work was seen as similar to using a sewing machine. 

The puzzle was missing a piece, and a number of the pieces were missing partial sections of plywood. Additionally, the box itself was damaged, and the label had lost pigment in some areas. 

Behind the Scenes

A wooden puzzle with random-cut interlocking pieces. It depicts Knole House, painted by Charles Essenhigh Corke. One piece is missing approximately two-thirds of the way across and two-thirds of the way down.
Puzzle with random-cut interlocking pieces.
A blue-purple box lid with a dark gold marble pattern. In the centre is a green label with gold lettering reading “Academy Jig-saw puzzle. A charming watercolour in 200 pieces”. The lettering is faded in places. The box is damaged at the corners with the layers of cardboard peeling away.
Puzzle box, reading “Academy Jig-saw puzzle. A charming watercolour in 200 pieces”.

The conservator who treated this object is Quinn, click on the profile to learn more.

Note: All images were taken by the conservator unless stated otherwise.

Quinn, a white person in their early 20s with short brown hair and glasses. They are smiling softly and glancing to the right and wearing a plaid shirt. The photo is in black and white.

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