McLoughlin Bros. “A Peep at the Circus Picture Puzzle (Dissected)” (1890s)

Digital image download of a McLoughlin Bros. “A Peep at the Circus Picture Puzzle (Dissected)” (1890s).

2790 pixels in height, 300dpi. Image copyright Jim Bunte LLC.

Active between 1828 and 1920, McLoughlin Bros. of New York introduced early color printing techniques in its many children’s books and lithographed cardboard puzzles. The puzzles included a series called “A Peep at the Circus Picture Puzzle (Dissected).” Copyrighted in 1887, the wooden box shown contained two 18-piece puzzles. The first, beautifully lithographed on the box cover, featured a starred-and-striped clown sharing tea with his very polite elephant friend; the second puzzle is said to have shown an animal trainer and two horses. Image is 1430px in height.