The 1930s witnessed an explosion of interest in and production of die-cut cardboard jigsaw puzzles. Die-cutting machines powerful and sharp enough to make production runs of millions were common, driving prices down as low as 10 cents/puzzle. Weekly series proliferated, especially in 1932-1933, providing the only "entertainment" each week for many people with limited or no work or money. Pictures on puzzles usually featured escapes into other worlds the assembler could only dream about: English thatched cottages, Venetian canals, Dutch windmills, scenic views, Flemish towns, camping, canoeing and encountering wild animals. The craze ended in March 1933 but by then 100 million die-cut puzzles had been sold! At first, the puzzle boxes either did not have a picture, or only had a black and white picture of the puzzle scene. By the late 1930s and 40s, color pictures on the box cover were common. We do not collect die-cut puzzles, so the display below is limited to the few puzzles which intrigue us.
