Jigsaw puzzles have always been a means to travel.

The very first jigsaw puzzles were designed to teach geography to children. Called “dissected maps,” their (non-interlocking!) pieces were cut along the borders of counties, provinces, or nations. When assembled, they showed England, Europe, or the known world.

But a puzzle can take you anywhere. Anywhen.

So we’re going back to the 1930s and ‘40s with our vintage travel series, Across the Continent.

The years after the Great Depression saw an explosion in puzzle popularity as people sought out peaceful, fun, and affordable ways to spend time together. Puzzlers of the time were delighted by other innovations, too: “interlocking pieces” and “machine cut.” Suddenly, puzzles were more colorful, more accessible, more fun and relaxing than ever before.

New but Retro

Illustrated by Steve Thomas, Across the Continent revives this energy and excitement with three 1,000-piece vintage travel puzzles, each in a magical, antique style designed to transport you across the country—and time.

Sit down, relax, and watch the retro train, plane, and ocean liner form at your fingertips as you put these throwback vintage jigsaw puzzles together. They are, as the old puzzle boxes used to say, “a joy to work.”