Circular Puzzles

Circular puzzles always attract more attention than those of a more conventional shape, whether they are straight reproductions of paintings or montages of several paintings. Unfortunately, in my thematic jigsaw collection depicting steam railways, I have very few examples of a circular shape.

Here are two, however, and the first one shown is a favourite in my collection - a Waddington's 500-piece jigsaw from the 1950's. The montage style puzzle comprises five different express trains, all displaying famous headboards. They are pictured in separated, equal segments within a circle; they are 'Flying Scotsman', 'Golden Arrow', 'Royal Scot', 'Yorkshire Pullman' and 'Cornish Riviera Express'. Its shape places it in a minority class immediately and always invites attention, accompanied by head and neck contortions when viewed. The artist is unknown to me.

A Malcolm Root original painting was used as the source for the second circular jigsaw - a 500-piece straight reproduction example from King International. The puzzle depicts a bridge carrying a steam train over a busy high street. The locomotive appears to be one of Sir William Stanier's large 2-6-4T tank types built from 1934. An interesting feature of the puzzle is that the double-decker bus carries a destination that includes 'SHOEBURY COMN'. Before she was broken up for scrap, Shoeburyness shed was the last home for tank engine, 42516, featured in the puzzle. A bus, lorry, car and people all vie for space beneath and around the bridge, in the bustling town centre of Southend-on-Sea.