RARE ANTIQUE 1870 SECTIONAL STEAMER & HOSE FIRE ENGINE PUZZLE – MILTON BRADLEY

Description

For your consideration is this very rare and one of the first puzzles made by Milton Bradley circa 1870 called "Sectional Steamer & Hose". This fantastic 150 year-old puzzle is an amazing three and half feet long (40 inches in length) and 5 inches high with each cardboard puzzle slip measuring just under 1 inch wide for 40 puzzle strips in total. The puzzle is called Sectional Steamer & Hose but it actually has four early firefighting vehicles consisting of, in this order, a chemical pumper wagon, a hose wagon, a water tower wagon and a steam fire wagon. When assembled, the puzzle shows a fantastic panoramic picture of the vehicles racing down an old town’s Main Street in the 1800’s. The Chromolithography is of the very highest quality of this early period and as you can see in the photos, each of the vehicles is depicted in a very high quality and accurate depiction of the fire fighting vehicles in that era. I once saw this puzzle framed and it looked really cool being such a long puzzle but I never got around to framing this one, which was my original intent.
This rare and wonderful sectional slip cardboard Sectional Steamer & Hose puzzle is in perfect condition and has been very well preserved with no rips or creases to any of the 40 cardboard strips. The colors are bright and bold. The box measures 7.5 inches by 5.75 inches by 1 inch and displays a great chromithograph and has clear masking tape around the box sides but is as sturdy as can be and displays wonderfully. The box bottom has a hand written note that reads "A Merry Christmas to Fred from George C. Fryer".
A very rare and historically important, circa 1870 Chromolithograph, Boxed Slip Puzzle titled "The Sectional Steamer & Hose". This would make a great addition to any collector of old fire department related memorabilia or puzzle collection. Please see all photos and feel free to ask if you have any additional questions.
Will ship worldwide.