As Williams points out, jigsaw puzzles have been used as advertisements since the 1930s. Here are two examples from the collection.
This item the "Heaven Sent Jigsaw Puzzle" was purchased by the Museum in 1983. It was made and sold by Helena Rubenstein sometime in the 1970s.
Surprisingly, when examining this item in preparation for putting information about it on this Webpage, it was discovered that the container still retained the fragrance of the cologne that it contained so many years ago - although the bottle of cologne was not included with the item when it was purchased by the Museum!
The item includes an 8cm high x 10cm diameter cardboard container with metal rims and base, and a clear plastic lid. Inside the container is a removable plastic shelf-tray that held a bottle of Heaven Sent Cologne. The jigsaw puzzle was packed beneath the shelf-tray.
Information about the cosmetic and the puzzle is printed on the sides of the container in both the English and French languages. The jigsaw puzzle is composed of 96 interlocking pieces. The graphic has a metallic-look. When the puzzle is assembled, the picture is 24.8cm long x 19.8cm wide.
Donated to the Museum in 1981 by the Advertising Department of the Mutual Life Assurance Company, the puzzle (pictured to the left) was a give-away to clients of the company.
Thie jigsaw puzzle pictures the head office of the Company. The head office is in Waterloo, Ontario. The information on the box is printed in both the English and French languages.
The puzzle contains 320 pieces. Some of the puzzle pieces were placed on the top of the box for this photograph. When assembled, the picture is 45.8cm wide x 33cm long.
Last update April 3, 2010