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!
Block-printed wallpaper has a special character, as seen in this close-up detail of a French Gothic Revival pattern made in the mid-19th century. This pristine partial roll was left over when the paper was hung in Whitten House in Maine in 1852 and remains in the house. The paper hung on the walls has lost much of its shine over 168 years but survives in overall good condition.
The glossy ground color on this paper was painted on and then polished to a high shine before the printed pattern was applied with five separate carved wood blocks, one for each color. The synthetic ultramarine blue pigment had been discovered in 1828 and was very popular during the period.
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!