Madame Pompadour

429-piece semi-interlocking plywood jigsaw puzzle, believed to almost certainly be from the "Figure=It=Out" range, but lacking its original box. The cleverly outline cut puzzle also features superb line-cutting, along with two drop-outs, all very much in keeping with this range's typical characteristics.

Thanks to Jackie Armstrong's extensive research, the artistic depiction can be identified as being of British actress/singer Evelyn Laye in her portrayal of Madame Pompadour, from the highly successful 1923 London adaptation of the 3 act operetta of the same name. The show ran for 469 performances at Daly's Theatre in London, also starring Bertram Wallis as King Louis XV and Derek Oldham as Count René. Evelyn Laye also went on to star in the London production of "The Dollar Princess" in 1928 and is thought to feature in this Parker Brothers Pastime puzzle of the same name.


Artist: Unknown
Date: c1920s
Brand: Holtzapffel
Material: Plywood
Nationality: British-England
Pieces: 429
Range: Figure=It=Out
Size: 18" x 22"
Theme: Films-Theatre
Title: Madame Pompadour