Exceptionally rare map puzzle: AFRICA, Concinnata Secundum Ob. servationes Membror. Acad. Regal Scientiarum et non= nullorum aliorum, et juxta recentissimas annotationes. Per G. de L Isle Geographum Augustæ Vindelicor: prostat ap

Exceptionally Rare, most unusual pre-1800 map puzzle of Africa. These early map puzzles seldom come available on the market.
Map puzzles, such as this one, were intended to help children learn geography and were generally heavily used by children. The process to make a map puzzle involved gluing a handcolored map onto a thin piece of board. The thin board was then cut with a handheld saw. These early puzzles were considered luxury items, and in the case of the English marketplace, could cost as much as a pound. Much of the literature states that dissected map puzzles were probably invented by John Spilsbury in London. Spilsbury (1739-1769) was apprenticed to Thomas Jefferys and then opened his own shop. He described himself as an "engraver and map dissector in wood in order to facilitate the Teaching of Geography". At one time, he had 30 different map puzzles for sale. However, there are references to other early map puzzle-makers in the early 1760s, notably those from Amsterdam and elsewhere in continental Europe. It is assumed that this map puzzle was produced in Augsburg around 1760, as the Lotter map of Africa was issued at this time in Augsburg. This map comes with its original box of marbled paper over boards. The box has a manuscript title of Africa on its top. The box measures 280mm long, 210mm wide, and 50mm high.

Reference: Bekkering, Geert, Dissected Maps to facilitate the teaching of geography, in Caert-Thressor 22 (2003) 2, p.47-51. Shefrin, Jill, Make it a Pleasure and Not a Task, in Princeton University Library Chronicle, Winter 1999, p. 251-275.