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Puzzles Old and New
by Professor Hoffmann

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Puzzles Old and New by Professor Hoffmann

The year 1893 was a milestone in the history of puzzle literature. Until then few, if any, books had been devoted to any great extent to mechanical puzzles. But in late 1878 or early 1879 an event occurred that took the world by storm. A little puzzle - called the "Fifteen" or "Boss" puzzle - with its 15 numbered square blocks that had to be slid into their correct order in a box, captured the imagination of the public. The resulting craze was as exciting as the one caused by the Rubik's Cube.

Whilst the "Fifteen" puzzle craze died down after a few years, it spawned a whole variety of mechanical puzzles, and interest in them has continued to a greater or lesser degree ever since. The first era of interest in puzzles, started in 1878, seems to have lasted until about 1907. This period could best be described as the "Golden Age" of puzzles.

Puzzles Old and New by Professor Hoffmann was first published in 1893 and his achievement was twofold. He was the first to describe in the minutest detail mechanical puzzles available commercially at the time and his aim was to make it as complete as possible. He was able to combine this with a wealth of accurate drawings, from which it must be assumed that he either possessed or had access to the puzzles he was describing. For some 80 years or more (until the advent of modern color printing techniques), his book stood alone, head and shoulders above the rest.

This edition has an absorbing foreword by the noted puzzle authority, Edward Hordern.

  • FOREWORD TO THIS EDITION
  • PREFACE
  • CHAPTER I. PUZZLES DEPENDENT ON DEXTERITY AND PERSEVERANCE.
      No. I. - The "Pick-Me-Up" Puzzle.
    • No. II. - The Planet Puzzle.
    • No. III. - The i Dotting Puzzle.
    • No. IV. - The Spider and the Flies.
    • No. V. - The Tower Bridge Puzzle.
    • No. VI. - In the Soup.
    • No. VII. - The Matrimonial Chair.
    • No. VIII. - The "Tire 'Em Out" Puzzle (L'Enervant).
    • No. IX. - The Electric Ball.
    • No. X. - The "Hang Him" Puzzle (Le Pendu).
    • No. XI. - Bouci-Boula.
    • No. XII. - The Switchback.
    • No. XIII. - The Five Horse-Shoes.
    • No. XIV. - The Two Horse-Shoes.
    • No. XV. - The Maze.
    • No. XVI. - The Pitfall Puzzle.
    • No. XVII. - The Fifteen Pellets Puzzle.
    • No. XVIII. - The Cross Puzzle.
    • No. XIX. - The Hand of Cards.
    • No. XX. - The Pig Puzzle.
    • No. XXI. - The Four Colours Puzzle.
    • No. XXII. - The Amphitheatre Puzzle.
    • No. XXIII. - The Persian Shah.
    • No. XXIV. - The Balance Puzzle.
    • No. XXV. - The Fish Puzzle.
    • No. XXVI. - The Marksman.
    • No. XXVII. - The Snake and Bird.
    • No. XXVIII. - The Coin and Card Puzzle.
    • No. XXIX. - The Egg and Card Puzzle.
  • CHAPTER II. MECHANICAL PUZZLES DEPENDENT ON SOME TRICK OR SECRET.
    • No. I. - The Barrel and Ball.
    • No. II. - The Dice Box.
    • No. III. - The "Churn."
    • No. IV. - The Cannon and Ball Puzzle.
    • No. V. - The Cage and Ball.
    • No. VI. - The Castle Money-box.
    • No. VII. - The New Castle Money-box.
    • No. VIII. - The Brass Money-box.
    • No. IX. - The Captive Sixpence.
    • No. X. - The Cannon and Cord.
    • No. XI. - The Heart Puzzle.
    • No. XII. - The Alliance (otherwise known as the Victoria) Puzzle.
    • No. XIII. - The Two Balls.
    • No. XIV. - The Ariel Puzzle.
    • No. XV. - The Pen and Wheel.
    • No. XVI. - The Balls and Rings.
    • No. XVII. - The Chinese Ladder.
    • No. XVIII. - The Staff.
    • No. XIX. - The Imperial Scale.
    • No. XX. - The Sceptre.
    • No. XXI. - The Balls and Chain.
    • No. XXII. - The Four Keys.
    • No. XXIII. - The Screw Box.
    • No. XXIV. - The Ball and Three Strings.
    • No. XXV. - The Lighthouse.
    • No. XXVI. - The Jubilee Puzzle Box.
    • No. XXVII. - The Jubilee Penny.
    • No. XXVIII. - The Invisible Gift.
    • No. XXIX. - The Arabi Gun.
    • No. XXX. - The Psycho Match-box.
    • No. XXXI. - The "Touch-Me-Not" Match-box.
    • No. XXXII. - The Magic Drawer Match-box.
    • No. XXXIII. - The "Unique" Match-box.
    • No. XXXIV. - The Surprise Match-box.
    • No. XXXV. - The New Brass Puzzle Match-box.
    • No. XXXVI. - The Ne Plus Ultra Match-box.
    • No. XXXVII. - The Sphinx Match-box.
    • No. XXXVIII. - The Puzzle Snuff-box.
    • No. XXXIX. - The New Puzzle Snuff-box.
    • No. XL. - The Puzzle Ball.
    • No. XLI. - The Ebony Puzzle Ball.
    • No. XLII. - The Puzzle Purse.
    • No. XLIII. - The Puzzle Pocket-knife.
    • No. XLIV. - The Automatic Knife.
    • No. XLV. - The Double Barrel and Ring.
    • No. XLVI. - The Wedding-ring Box.
    • No. XLVII. - The New Money-box.
    • No. XLVIII. - The Zulu Box.
    • No. XLIX. - The New Persian Puzzle.
    • No. L. - The Magic Handcuff.
    • No. LI. - The Key and Ring Puzzle.
    • No. LII. - The New Egg of Columbus.
  • KEY TO CHAPTER II. MECHANICAL PUZZLES DEPENDENT ON SOME TRICK OR SECRET
  • CHAPTER III. "DISSECTED" OR COMBINATION PUZZLES.
    • No. I. - The "Anchor" Puzzle.
    • No. II. - The Tormentor Puzzle.
    • No. III. - The Pythagoras Puzzle.
    • No. IV. - The Cross Puzzle.
    • No. V. - The Circular Puzzle.
    • No. VI. - The "Star" Puzzle.
    • No. VII. - The Zigzag Square.
    • No. VIII. - The Extended Square.
    • No. IX. - The Octagon Puzzle.
    • No. X. - The Patchwork Square.
    • No. XI. - The Two Squares.
    • No. XII. - The Latin Cross Puzzle.
    • No. XIII. - The Greek Cross Puzzle.
    • No. XIV. - The Protean Puzzle.
    • No. XV. - The Caricature Puzzle.
    • No. XVI. - The Chequers Puzzle.
    • No. XVII. - The "Spots" Puzzle.
    • No. XVIII. - The Endless Chain.
    • No. XIX. - The Hexagon.
    • No. XX. - Eight Squares in One.
    • No. XXI. - The Five Squares.
    • No. XXII. - The Geometrical Square.
    • No. XXIII. - The Dissected Square.
    • No. XXIV. - The Twenty Triangles.
    • No. XXV. - The New Triangle Puzzle.
    • No. XXVI. - The Japanese Square.
    • No. XXVII. - The Chinese Square.
    • No. XXVIII. - The Yankee Square.
    • No. XXIX. - Another Cross Puzzle.
    • No. XXX. - The Carpenter's Puzzle. No. 1.
    • No. XXXI. - Carpenter's Puzzle. No. 2.
    • No. XXXII. - The Cabinet Maker's Puzzle.
    • No. XXXIII. - The Bonbon Nut Puzzle.
    • No. XXXIV. - The Rattle Puzzle.
    • No. XXXV. - The Cross-Keys or Three-piece Puzzle.
    • No. XXXVI. - The Nut (or Six-piece) Puzzle.
    • No. XXXVII. - The Fairy Tea-table.
    • No. XXXVIII. - The Mystery.
    • No. XXXIX. - The Diabolical Cube.
    • No. XL. - The Chinese Zigzag.
    • No. XLI. - The Man of Many Parts.
  • KEY TO CHAPTER III. "DISSECTED" OR COMBINATION PUZZLES.
  • CHAPTER IV. ARITHMETICAL PUZZLES.
    • No. I. - The "Forty-five" Puzzle.
    • No. II. - A Singular Subtraction.
    • No. III. - A Mysterious Multiplicand.
    • No. IV. - Counting the Pigs.
    • No. V. - Another "Pig" Problem.
    • No. VI. - A Little Miscalculation.
    • No. VII. - A Simple Magic Square.
    • No. VIII. - The "Thirty-four" Puzzle.
    • No. IX. - The "Sixty-five" Puzzle.
    • No. X. - The "Twenty-six" Puzzle.
    • No. XI. - An Unmanageable Legacy.
    • No. XII. - Many Figures, but a Small Result.
    • No. XIII. - Can You Name It?
    • No. XIV. - Squares, Product, and Difference.
    • No. XV. - A Peculiar Number.
    • No. XVI. - A Novel Century.
    • No. XVII. - Another Century.
    • No. XVIII. - Another Way to make a Hundred.
    • No. XIX. - The Lucky Number.
    • No. XX. - The Two Ages.
    • No. XXI. - The Graces and the Muses.
    • No. XXII. - The Graces and the Muses Again.
    • No. XXIII. - Just One Over.
    • No. XXIV. - Scarcely Explicit.
    • No. XXV. - Making Things Even.
    • No. XXVI. - A Rejected Proposal.
    • No. XXVII. - The Market-woman and her Stock.
    • No. XXVIII. - The Captives in the Tower.
    • No. XXIX. - Father and Son.
    • No. XXX. - A Complicated Transaction.
    • No. XXXI. - A Long Family.
    • No. XXXII. - A Curious Number.
    • No. XXXIII. - The Shepherd and his Sheep.
    • No. XXXIV. - A Difficult Problem.
    • No. XXXV. - Well Laid Out.
    • No. XXXVI. - The Two Travellers.
    • No. XXXVII. - Measuring the Garden.
    • No. XXXVIII. - When Will They get It?
    • No. XXXIX. - Passing the Gate.
    • No. XL. - A Novel Magic Square.
    • No. XLI. - Another Magic Square.
    • No. XLII. - The Set of Weights.
    • No. XLIII. - What Did He Lose?
    • No. XLIV. - A Difficult Division.
    • No. XLV. - The Hundred Bottles of Wine.
    • No. XLVI. - The Last of Her Stock.
    • No. XLVII. - The Walking Match.
    • No. XLVIII. - A Feat of Divination.
    • No. XLIX. - A Peculiar Number.
    • No. L. - Another Peculiar Number.
    • No. LI. - The Three Legacies.
    • No. LII. - Another Mysterious Multiplicand.
    • No. LIII. - How to Divide Twelve among Thirteen.
    • No. LIV. - Tenth Man Out.
    • No. LV. - Ninth Man Out.
    • No. LVI. - The Three Travellers.
    • No. LVII. - The Wolf, the Goat, and the Cabbages.
    • No. LVIII. - The Three Jealous Husbands.
    • No. LIX. - The Captain and His Company.
    • No. LX. - The Treasure Trove.
    • No. LXI. - The Row of Counters.
    • No. LXII. - A Loan and a Present.
    • No. LXIII. - Eleven Guests in Ten Beds.
    • No. LXIV. - A Difficult Division.
    • No. LXV. - The Three Market-Women.
    • No. LXVI. - The Farmer and His Three Daughters.
    • No. LXVII. - How Many for a Penny?
    • No. LXVIII. - The Magic Cards.
    • No. LXIX. - The "Fifteen" or "Boss" Puzzle.
    • No. LXX. - The Peg-away Puzzle.
    • No. LXXI. - The Over-Polite Guests.
    • No. LXXII. - The "Royal Aquarium" Thirteen Puzzle.
    • No. LXXIII. - An Easy Creditor.
    • No. LXXIV. - The Three Arabs.
    • No. LXXV. - An Eccentric Testator.
    • No. LXXVI. - Another Eccentric Testator.
    • No. LXXVII. - An Aggravating Uncle.
    • No. LXXVIII. - Apples and Oranges.
    • No. LXXIX. - The Two Squares.
    • No. LXXX. - A Curious Division.
    • No. LXXXI. - A Curious Multiplication.
    • No. LXXXII. - The Two Schoolmasters.
    • No. LXXXIII. - Nothing Left.
    • No. LXXXIV. - The Three Generations.
    • No. LXXXV. - The Two Brothers.
    • No. LXXXVI. - The Two Sons.
    • No. LXXXVII. - The Two Nephews.
    • No. LXXXVIII. - The Reversed Number.
    • No. LXXXIX. - Another Reversed Number.
    • No. XC. - The Shepherd and his Sheep.
    • No. XCI. - The Shepherdess and her Sheep.
    • No. XCII. - A Weighty Matter.
    • No. XCIII. - The Three Topers.
    • No. XCIV. - The False Scales.
    • No. XCV. - An Arithmetical Policeman.
    • No. XCVI. - The Flock of Geese.
    • No. XCVII. - The Divided Cord.
    • No. XCVIII. - The Divided Number.
    • No. XCIX. - The Two Numbers.
    • No. C. - The Horse and Trap.
    • No. CI. - The Two Workmen.
    • No. CII. - Another Divided Number.
    • No. CIII. - The Three Reapers.
    • No. CIV. - The Bag of Marbles.
    • No. CV. - The Expunged Numerals. A.
    • No. CVI. - The Expunged Numerals.
    • No. CVII. - A Tradesman in a Difficulty.
    • No. CVIII. - Profit and Loss.
    • No. CIX. - A Curious Fraction.
    • No. CX. - The Menagerie.
    • No. CXI. - The Market-woman and her Eggs.
    • No. CXII. - The Cook and his Assistants.
  • KEY TO CHAPTER IV. ARITHMETICAL PUZZLES.
  • CHAPTER V. WORD AND LETTER PUZZLES.
    • No. I. - A Puzzling Inscription.
    • No. II. - An Easy One.
    • No. III. - Pied Proverbs.
    • No. IV. - Scattered Sentiment.
    • No. V. - Dropped-Letter Proverbs.
    • No. VI. - Dropped-Letter Nursery Rhymes.
    • No. VII. - Transformations.
    • No. VIII. - Beheaded Words.
    • No. IX. - Anagrams.
    • No. X. - Word Squares.
    • No. XI. - Word Diamonds.
    • No. XII. - A Cross of Diamonds.
    • No. XIII. - Knight's Tour Letter Puzzles.
    • No. XIV. - Knight's Tour Word Puzzle.
    • No. XV. - Hidden Proverbs.
    • No. XVI. - The Five Arab Maxims.
  • KEY TO CHAPTER V. WORD AND LETTER PUZZLES.
  • CHAPTER VI. PUZZLES WITH COUNTERS.
    • No. I.
    • No. II.
    • No. III.
    • No. IV.
    • No. V.
    • No. VI.
    • No. VII.
    • No. VIII.
    • No. IX.
    • No. X.
    • No. XI.
    • No. XII.
    • No. XIII.
    • No. XIV. - The "Okto" Puzzle.
    • No. XV.
    • No. XVI.
    • No. XVII. - The "Right and Left" Puzzle.
    • No. XVIII.
    • No. XIX. - The "Four and Four" Puzzle.
    • No. XX. - The "Five and Five" Puzzle.
    • No. XXI. - The "Six and Six" Puzzle.
    • No. XXII. - The Thirty-six Puzzle.
    • No. XXIII. - The "Five to Four" Puzzle.
    • No. XXIV. - No Two in a Row.
    • No. XXV. - The "Simple" Puzzle.
    • No. XXVI. - The "English Sixteen" Puzzle.
    • No. XXVII. - The Twenty Counters.
  • KEY TO CHAPTER VI. PUZZLES WITH COUNTERS.
  • CHAPTER VII. PUZZLES WITH LUCIFER MATCHES.
    • No. I.
    • No. II.
    • No. III.
    • No. IV.
    • No. V.
    • No. VI.
    • No. VII.
    • No. VIII.
    • No. IX.
    • No. X.
    • No. XI.
    • No. XII.
    • No. XIII.
    • No. XIV.
    • No. XV.
    • No. XVI.
    • No. XVII.
    • No. XVIII. - The Magnetised Matches.
    • No. XIX. - The Fifteen Matches Puzzle.
  • KEY TO CHAPTER VII. PUZZLES WITH LUCIFER MATCHES.
  • CHAPTER VIII. WIRE PUZZLES.
    • No. I. - The United Hearts.
    • No. II. - The Triangle.
    • No. III. - The Snake and Ring.
    • No. IV. - The Hieroglyph.
    • No. V. - The Interlaced Triangles.
    • No. VI. - The Double Bow and Ring.
    • No. VII. - The Egyptian Mystery.
    • No. VIII. - The Ball and Spiral.
    • No. IX. - The Unionist Puzzle.
    • No. X. - The Eastern Question.
    • No. XI. - The Handcuff Puzzle.
    • No. XII. - The Stanley Puzzle.
  • KEY TO CHAPTER VIII. WIRE PUZZLES.
  • CHAPTER IX. "QUIBBLE" OR "CATCH" PUZZLES.
    • No. I. - A Remarkable Division.
    • No. II. - Subtraction Extraordinary.
    • No. III. - Two Halves Greater than the Whole.
    • No. IV. - A Distinction and a Difference.
    • No. V. - The Family Party.
    • No. VI. - A Sum in Subtraction.
    • No. VII. - Another Sum in Subtraction.
    • No. VIII. - Three Times Six.
    • No. IX. - A New Way of Writing 100.
    • No. X. - A Seeming Impossibility.
    • No. XI. - Multiplication Extraordinary.
    • No. XII. - A Question in Notation.
    • No. XIII. - The Miraculous Herrings.
    • No. XIV. - Two Evens make an Odd.
    • No. XV. - Six made Three.
    • No. XVI. - A Singular Subtraction.
    • No. XVII. - A Sum in Addition.
    • No. XVIII. - The Flying Sixpence.
    • No. XIX. - The Last Thing Out.
    • No. XX. - The Three Gingerbread Nuts.
    • No. XXI. - The Mysterious Obstacle.
    • No. XXII. - The Bewitched Right Hand.
    • No. XXIII. - The Invisible Candle.
    • No. XXIV. - The Draper's Puzzle.
    • No. XXV. - The Portrait.
    • No. XXVI. - The Charmed Circle.
    • No. XXVII. - The Egg and the Cannon-ball
    • No. XXVIII. - A Curious Window.
    • No. XXIX. - A Queer Calculation.
    • No. XXX. - Arithmetical Enigma
    • No. XXXI. - A Short Year.
    • No. XXXII. - The Mysterious Addition.
    • No. XXXIII. - Arithmetical Enigma.
    • No. XXXIV. - A New Valuation.
    • No. XXXV. - Easy, when You Know It.
    • No. XXXVI. - Necessity the Mother of Invention.
    • No. XXXVII. - A Singular Subtraction.
    • No. XXXIX. - A Queer Query.
    • No. XL. - The Mouse.
    • No. XLI. - The Fasting Man.
    • No. XLII. - The Family Party.
    • No. XLIII. - A Reversible Fraction.
    • No. XLIV. - The Three Counters.
    • No. XLV. - Magic Made Easy.
  • KEY TO CHAPTER IX. "QUIBBLE" OR "CATCH" PUZZLES.
  • CHAPTER X. MISCELLANEOUS PUZZLES.
    • No. I. - The John Bull Political Puzzle.
    • No. II. - The Pig in Sty.
    • No. III. - Hide and Seek.
    • No. IV. - The Brahmin's Puzzle.
    • No. V. - Cardan's Ring's.
    • No. VI. - The Knight's Tour.
    • No. VII. - The Knotted Handkerchief.
    • No. VIII. - Crossette.
    • No. IX. - Single-Stroke Figures.
    • No. X. - The Balanced Egg. Another Method.
    • No. XI. - Solitaire Problems.
    • No. XII. - Skihi.
    • No. XIII. - A Card Puzzle.
    • No. XIV. - Another Card Puzzle.
    • No. XV. - The Floating Corks.
    • No. XVI. - The Obstinate Cork.
    • No. XVII. - Fixing the Ring.
    • No. XVIII. - The Treasure at Medinet.
    • No. XIX. - The Four Wine-Glasses.
    • No. XX. - One Peg to Fit Three Holes.
    • No. XXI. - The Balanced Pencil.
    • No. XXII. - To Balance an Egg on the Point of a Walking-Stick.
    • No. XXIII. - The Ashantee Horseshoe.
    • No. XXIV. - A Feat of Dexterity.
    • No. XXV. - The Divided Square.
    • No. XXVI. - The "Oval" Problem.
    • No. XXVII. - The Floating Ball.
    • No. XXVIII. - The Cut Playing-Card.
    • No. XXIX. - The Mitre Puzzle.
    • No. XXX. - The Five Straws.
    • No. XXXI. - The Three Fountains.
    • No. XXXII. - The Two Dogs.
    • No. XXXIII. - Water Bewitched.
    • No. XXXIV. - The Balanced Halfpenny.
    • No. XXXV. - The Balanced Sixpence.
    • No. XXXVI. - Silken Fetters.
    • No. XXXVII. - The Orchard Puzzle.
    • No. XXXVIII. - The Cook in a Difficulty (La Question de la Marmite).
    • No. XXXIX. - The Devil's Bridge (Le Pont du Diable).
    • No. XL. - The Two Corks.
    • No. XLI. - The Divided Farm.
    • No. XLII. - The Conjurer's Medal.
    • No. XLIII. - The Maze Medal.
    • No. XLIV. - The Puzzle Key-Ring.
    • No. XLV. - The Singular Shilling.
    • No. XLVI. - The Entangled Scissors.
    • No. XLVII. - The Penetrative Penny.
    • No. XLVIII. - The Packer's Secret.
  • KEY TO CHAPTER X. MISCELLANEOUS PUZZLES.

1st edition 1893, 394 pages; PDF 353 pages.
word count: 78406 which is equivalent to 313 standard pages of text


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This product is listed under the following topics:

Games / Puzzles, Logic & Brain Teasers

Magic & Mentalism / Published 1800-1899