1000 piece puzzle, "The Drawbridge at Arles" by Vincent van Gogh; Milton Bradley, USA.
From 1967, another short-lived series from Milton Bradley called Buckingham (No. 5636). For this one, MB really tried taking Springbok head on: the box design, shape and lettering is almost identical to Springbok's circular puzzle boxes. But MB went a bit further, dubbing this one a "king size" circular puzzle with "nearly 1000 interlocking pieces" (I counted 938 total).
The larger size of the puzzle was also emphasized by the giant size of the box - about twice as large as it needed to be to fit the pieces, for a puzzle that wasn't really much larger than the 500 piece circular Springboks.
The pieces are typical for MB from that era, and the quality of the print is very clear and bright. Also noteworthy is the purple backing paper - something I've never seen from MB before.
This one was a joy to assemble: the linear details of the bridge, water and grass interacting with the circular cut; the rich blues of sky and water. The print could have been a bit sharper. I wish MB had continued this series for longer than they did, but soon thereafter they dropped Buckingham while continuing their 1000 piece round Kent series, which was all scenic photography.
Milton Bradley's foray into shaped, fine art puzzles didn't last for very long. By the early '70s, they had changed their focus from competing directly with Springbok, instead opting to manufacture larger and larger puzzles of scenic photography. In 1971, their 2000 piece Magnum series appeared, and then two years later, a 2500 piece Colossus series. And indeed, there was no reason to compete with Springbok: Milton Bradley benefited hugely by the resurgent popularity of puzzles fueled by Springbok, a wave that they rode into the early '80s, when the rise of home video game consoles and the VCR drastically changed the way Americans spent their leisure time.
Verbiage from the back of the box:
The life of Vincent van Gogh was a struggle of the emotions which surged within him. He was torn between entering the church, the aspiration of becoming a Spanish grandee, or giving himself to the world of art. He chose the latter. At sixteen he became an art dealer's apprentice and from then on he was obsessed with the passion to paint. Because of his uncouth appearance and fiery nature he had few friends - only his brother Theo having faith in him. In February, 1888, two years before his death, he arrived at Arles and instantly it held a strange fascination for him. He found the people and the landscape the answer to his desires. The Drawbridge at Arles is outstanding of the paintings he did there. The canvas simply smiles at you. There is the clarity of color, the pure tones, the brilliant yellow of which he was so fond. This painting is a true example of his finest technique. The sunshine at Arles made him a dramatist - an aesthetic quality which has given van Gogh a place apart in the world of Modern Painting.
Completed with no box reference. Not timed.
1000 piece puzzle, "The Drawbridge at Arles" by Vincent van Gogh; Milton Bradley, USA.
From 1967, another short-lived series from Milton Bradley called Buckingham (No. 5636). For this one, MB really tried taking Springbok head on: the box design, shape and lettering is almost identical to Springbok's circular puzzle boxes. But MB went a bit further, dubbing this one a "king size" circular puzzle with "nearly 1000 interlocking pieces" (I counted 938 total).
The larger size of the puzzle was also emphasized by the giant size of the box - about twice as large as it needed to be to fit the pieces, for a puzzle that wasn't really much larger than the 500 piece circular Springboks.
The pieces are typical for MB from that era, and the quality of the print is very clear and bright. Also noteworthy is the purple backing paper - something I've never seen from MB before.
This one was a joy to assemble: the linear details of the bridge, water and grass interacting with the circular cut; the rich blues of sky and water. The print could have been a bit sharper. I wish MB had continued this series for longer than they did, but soon thereafter they dropped Buckingham while continuing their 1000 piece round Kent series, which was all scenic photography.
Milton Bradley's foray into shaped, fine art puzzles didn't last for very long. By the early '70s, they had changed their focus from competing directly with Springbok, instead opting to manufacture larger and larger puzzles of scenic photography. In 1971, their 2000 piece Magnum series appeared, and then two years later, a 2500 piece Colossus series. And indeed, there was no reason to compete with Springbok: Milton Bradley benefited hugely by the resurgent popularity of puzzles fueled by Springbok, a wave that they rode into the early '80s, when the rise of home video game consoles and the VCR drastically changed the way Americans spent their leisure time.
Verbiage from the back of the box:
The life of Vincent van Gogh was a struggle of the emotions which surged within him. He was torn between entering the church, the aspiration of becoming a Spanish grandee, or giving himself to the world of art. He chose the latter. At sixteen he became an art dealer's apprentice and from then on he was obsessed with the passion to paint. Because of his uncouth appearance and fiery nature he had few friends - only his brother Theo having faith in him. In February, 1888, two years before his death, he arrived at Arles and instantly it held a strange fascination for him. He found the people and the landscape the answer to his desires. The Drawbridge at Arles is outstanding of the paintings he did there. The canvas simply smiles at you. There is the clarity of color, the pure tones, the brilliant yellow of which he was so fond. This painting is a true example of his finest technique. The sunshine at Arles made him a dramatist - an aesthetic quality which has given van Gogh a place apart in the world of Modern Painting.
Completed with no box reference. Not timed.