A Thousand Words 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Canine or clairvoyant? What do you see?

This 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle features one of the most popular images from the exhibition A Thousand Words, which draws on the collections of NSW State Archives and Sydney Living Museums. The image was selected because it presents quite the challenge for puzzlers: a black-and-white photograph, with shades of grey in between. And who can resist a clairvoyant canine?

A Thousand Words adopts a philosophy that everyone can interpret history through the lens of their background, experiences, values and aspirations. Unlike a standard exhibition, the images are presented without traditional curatorial interpretation. Instead, the public are invited to contribute responses — whether emotive, nostalgic or imaginative — and this 'crowdsourced' material is integral to the exhibition. New creative works have also been commissioned from established and emerging writers and artists, each responding to an image from the exhibition.

When completed, the puzzle measures 73.6 cm by 28.4 cm

Image credit: Alan Spearman Evans Collection, Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection, Sydney Living Museums

A Thousand Words is a collaboration between Sydney Living Museums and NSW State Archives.