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Digital Jigsaw Puzzles

Need a fun mental break? We’ve created six digital jigsaw puzzles through Jigsaw Explorer that feature a few favorite images from our collection. Play them right here on our blog or use the links to expand an individual puzzle. Each puzzle is set to contain about 100 pieces, but they are customizable for any skill set. Hit the question mark icon on a puzzle for more information. We’ve tested these with staff (and kid volunteers!) and hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

All of these images are freely available through our Image Gallery, Digital Library or Biodiversity Heritage Library. Feel free to explore, download other images and maybe make your own boredom buster!

 

“The Lilac” from Eugene Grasset’s La plante et ses applications ornementales (1896).

A stunner of a book, Grasset’s design patterns focus on plants and flowers. It was intended to promote the Art Nouveau style.

Play online: https://jigex.com/CsBd

“The Lilac” from Eugene Grasset’s La plante et ses applications ornementales (1896).

 

“The Koodoo” from Samuel Daniell’s African Scenery and Animals, 1804-05.

The kudu is a type of spiral-horned antelope. It’s one of many species (some now extinct) featured in African scenery and animals (1804-05), available in the Biodiversity Heritage Library. These hand-colored aquatint plates present artwork by Samuel Daniell, produced during an expedition to Africa at the end of the eighteenth century.

Play online: https://jigex.com/HzPd

“The Koodoo” from Samuel Daniell’s African Scenery and Animals, 1804-05.

 

“Pour rêver un peu” from La guirlande, fasc (1919).

The title of this illustration says it all – “To dream a little”. It was published in 1919 in the French literary and art journal, La guirlande. The publication’s art director was Italian artist Umberto Brunelleschi, known for his book and fashion illustrations.

Play online: https://jigex.com/6N8V

“Pour rêver un peu” from La guirlande, fasc (1919).

 

Cover from Aéroplane captif (1909).

Aéroplane captif is one of hundreds of pieces of aeronautical-themed sheet music collected by Bella C. Landauer (1874–1960). Landauer took an interest in aviation when her son became a pilot and scoured music shops to amass her collection. She’s one of many collectors featured in our exhibition, Magnificent Obessions: Why We Collect

Play online: https://jigex.com/4E1R

Cover from Aéroplane captif (1909). Gift of Bella C. Landauer.

 

“Smithsonian Institution, from the North East” from Robert Dale Owen’s Hints on public architecture . . . (1849).

This charming drawing of men and women strolling on the paths on the Mall in front of the Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle) is from Robert Dale Owen’s 1849 publication, Hints on public architecture, containing, among other illustrations, views and plans of the Smithsonian institution. Owen was a Smithsonian regent and the head of the Building Committee. The exterior of the building wasn’t actually completed until 1851.

Play online: https://jigex.com/Vggy

“Smithsonian Institution, from the North East” from Robert Dale Owen’s Hints on public architecture . . . (1849).

 

Front cover from John Lewis Childs’ New, rare & beautiful flowers, (1890).

John Lewis Childs was born on May 13, 1856.  He acquired a few acres and set up his business as a seedsman and florist at age eighteen, after one year as a florist’s helper on Long Island. His operation was based in Floral Park, New York, which was often featured in his catalogs. The Smithsonian Libraries holds more than 10,000 seed and nursery catalogs dating from 1830 to the present.

Play online: https://jigex.com/6Bzy

Front cover from John Lewis Childs’ New, rare & beautiful flowers, (1890).

30 Comments

  1. Andy Tinkham

    These are great! Thank you! Me, my wife,and my mother-in-law are all having fun doing them!

  2. Laura Crawford

    Thank you so much for a beautiful puzzle!

  3. Brenda Crotts

    Thank you for the puzzles from art. Such a joy during pandemic.

  4. Jacqueline Dillon Fast

    Thanks for the diversion–back to work!

  5. Lyn

    These are really cool – thank you! (The “Play online” links aren’t clickable, fyi.)

  6. Jennie Hakim

    Nice puzzles! Extra-challenging with a high piece count.

  7. Jennifer Drinka

    Thank you so much! This was much appreciated in the midst of a difficult day.

  8. Kelly Ryan

    That was fun! And nothing is fun now.

  9. Beverly

    Just saw tonight and I am addicted to it more more fun

  10. Sandrine

    I tried to stretch these out for as long as I could. I regret to say that I have done all six. Thank you for this wonderful gift.

  11. Crystal

    Thank you!

  12. Joe

    Fantastic

  13. Beverly

    I enjoy all these how to get more??? Thanks

  14. Kathy

    Thank you for the puzzles. They are beautiful.

  15. Marion

    Such a wonderful distraction during this troubling time. Thank you.

  16. Sue Stewart

    These puzzles are wonderful! I especially like the layout, with all the pieces laid out individually, rather than piled and stacked on each other. This allows a user to actually start solving the puzzle without having to first disentangle the pieces — this often takes longer than the actual solve! Thank you!

  17. Pat Saunders

    Thanks for this great variety of puzzle subjects from your collections. Such fun and the options make subsequent tries at solving even more fun.

  18. Hope Hager

    Thank you! I really enjoyed these puzzles. I saw them in a Facebook post from a friend who works at a local library. I’ve been checking out your web site and I love it. I could sit here all day (and not get anything done). Thanks for all the effort you put into making this such an interesting web site.

  19. Diane Lande

    This was really fun! Thank you for a relaxing evening.

  20. Mike Emery

    I enjoyed the puzzles, especially showing a small bit of history.

  21. Deborah Malor

    Wonderful COVID19 diversions. Probably the best collection of jigsaws I’ve found online so far. Thank you!

  22. Jennifer M.

    More puzzles, please!! Lots of them! This was really fun! Thank you for making them! My husband I worked out way through them. I was just working them on the little screen, but it’s much faster if one makes the screen full-sized because you can see the pieces better! Enjoyed it!

  23. Here

    Very cool. This just gave me an idea to 3d print puzzles, though I’m not quite sure the best way to get the image to stay on the printed pieces.

  24. katherine

    will you be adding more?

  25. Dottie B

    I just love puzzles and these were such a delight. I was very excited to find them and have thoroughly enjoyed them. The applause at the end is great fun too. I’d love to see more! Thank you so much!

  26. Tinka Friend

    Fantastic! I’ve sent this page to about 50 of my friends and family. We are all loving this. Will you be able to provide more?

    I also love the coloring pages and the postcards.

    • Karen Ronan

      If you go to jigsawexplorer.com you can make a jigsaw of any jpg you want.

  27. Barbara M

    More, please. I’m thoroughly enjoying these. I started with my favorite images but am now going back for the rest. Once you figure out the way to do the first one, it is just a really nice way to de-stress.

  28. Zoe Wages Dillard

    My entire household has Covid19. Needless to say, we are in search of activities during quarantine. These puzzles are a Godsend! Thank you, Smithsonian!

  29. Jimmy T

    Hope to see some more of these. They are a lot of fun.

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