Thanks, Barbara. In this and the next two newsletters I am making some observations about what seems to be Hayter's house style, but they are probably based on a much smaller sample size than you have assembled. I'd appreciate your feedback if I am wrong or oversimplifying things.
Thank you, Bill, for another richly informational essay.
Meaning to be helpful (not nit-picky). I'll mention to you that you posted your earlier essay about the Hayter company in 2022, not 1922—you may want to correct that date.
I always get a kick out of reading about the home-based settings of some of the really excellent puzzle-making—in this case, I see, in my mind's eye, Hayter's craft work being done in a garden shed and at a kitchen table even before official business incorporation!
Good to read about Hayter's "inventions" that came before he got into figural pieces. "Between the Hills," which does include eight figurals, is a particularly lovely puzzle. It's interesting to me that, during assembly, you were able to figure out the placement logic for those eight. I don't guess that it would have occurred to me to notice that; but, of course, you are passionate about all aspects of your wooden-puzzle hobby. Surmising that the scene in "Jolly Good Ale" comes after, rather than before the hunt, and also that the serving of ale is likely taking place in a manor house, rather than in a tavern—these are also nice points, Bill.
Thanks for catching that typo, Greg. I've fixed it in the blog/archive.
Actually, I didn't figure out the placement logic of the whimsies in Hayter's puzzles while doing the puzzles - only by studying the back-side trying to figure out why things were done the way they were. Seeing that long thin whimsies were in a line like that would maximize the number of continuous through-cuts led me to recognize that doing them that was a way to maximize cutting efficiency.
I do wonder whether Hayter told the cutters to do it that way - he was an expert cutter himself, and the boss - or whether it spread spontaneously among the cutters as soon as someone first did it that way. After all, they were all motivated by the piece-rate payment system to cut as efficiently as possible.
You're welcome, and thanks to you once again. By the way, I do count having your insight about whimsy logic while looking at the back of the puzzle as "figurin' out the figurals" while doing the puzzle.
Always a good read . I have a large collection of the GJ Hayter wood Jigsaws Thanks Barbara Tapp
Thanks, Barbara. In this and the next two newsletters I am making some observations about what seems to be Hayter's house style, but they are probably based on a much smaller sample size than you have assembled. I'd appreciate your feedback if I am wrong or oversimplifying things.
Thank you, Bill, for another richly informational essay.
Meaning to be helpful (not nit-picky). I'll mention to you that you posted your earlier essay about the Hayter company in 2022, not 1922—you may want to correct that date.
I always get a kick out of reading about the home-based settings of some of the really excellent puzzle-making—in this case, I see, in my mind's eye, Hayter's craft work being done in a garden shed and at a kitchen table even before official business incorporation!
Good to read about Hayter's "inventions" that came before he got into figural pieces. "Between the Hills," which does include eight figurals, is a particularly lovely puzzle. It's interesting to me that, during assembly, you were able to figure out the placement logic for those eight. I don't guess that it would have occurred to me to notice that; but, of course, you are passionate about all aspects of your wooden-puzzle hobby. Surmising that the scene in "Jolly Good Ale" comes after, rather than before the hunt, and also that the serving of ale is likely taking place in a manor house, rather than in a tavern—these are also nice points, Bill.
Thanks for catching that typo, Greg. I've fixed it in the blog/archive.
Actually, I didn't figure out the placement logic of the whimsies in Hayter's puzzles while doing the puzzles - only by studying the back-side trying to figure out why things were done the way they were. Seeing that long thin whimsies were in a line like that would maximize the number of continuous through-cuts led me to recognize that doing them that was a way to maximize cutting efficiency.
I do wonder whether Hayter told the cutters to do it that way - he was an expert cutter himself, and the boss - or whether it spread spontaneously among the cutters as soon as someone first did it that way. After all, they were all motivated by the piece-rate payment system to cut as efficiently as possible.
You're welcome, and thanks to you once again. By the way, I do count having your insight about whimsy logic while looking at the back of the puzzle as "figurin' out the figurals" while doing the puzzle.
Cheers,
Greg