Jigsaw puzzle:Two of a Kind

George W. Fiss (1835-1925) lived in Philadelphia, PA, where he had a wool business. Around 1909 he and a nephew, G. W. Fiss Jr., began cutting jigsaw puzzles as a hobby. They undoubtedly used a treadle scroll saw, since the house where he lived then (1911 Green Street) was not electrified until later. He was very meticulous and kept a detailed notebook where he listed who borrowed each puzzle and when they returned it. He cut 53 puzzles, and his nephew cut 60. The puzzles are on 3-ply basswood. They are non-interlocking and cut on color lines. Some had stack cutting within the puzzle, so that two pieces are interchangeable within different parts of the picture. About 70 of the puzzles were passed on to his granddaughter.