The best way to learn about historic houses is to look at them closely, and the most fun way to look at them closely is to do a puzzle showing a wonderful historic house! So, we made a unique and interesting collection of Historic House Puzzles for you to enjoy!
At left, a 6 in. x 6 in. encaustic tile made by the Minton, Hollins & Company pottery in Staffordshire, England. At right, twenty-four of the same tiles are arranged into a pattern on the floor.
The Minton’s pottery was formed by Thomas Minton in 1793. In the 1840s, his son, Herbert Minton, developed the method for producing multi-color tiles with different colored clays, providing depth to the color so it would not wear off over time as transfer printed or glaze colored tiles will. This was part of a movement to recreate the Gothic architecture and finishes of the Medieval period. The method for producing these tiles had been lost for centuries. In partnership with Michael Hollins, as Minton, Hollins & Company, Minton became one of the world’s leading tile producers. The firm’s encaustic tiles were widely used in homes and public buildings in all styles of architecture through the rest of the 19th century.
Ceramic tile preservation, restoration, and replication is covered in detail in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Click on the dashed box at the top-right in the puzzle box below to open the puzzle to full screen. In the top left, you can change the number of pieces (100 pieces is the default), toggle piece rotation, and change the background color. Then hit “OK” and have fun!