International Puzzle Party
The most prestigious puzzle event in the world, the 2002 International Puzzle Party was held in Antwerpen, Belgium, in August. The IPP was founded in 1978 by America's foremost puzzle collector, Jerry Slocum, and organized by Jerry and a trans-continental committee of sages.
Here are a few scenes from the invitation-only puzzle sale and swap, where designers display their creations on long tables in the hotel ballroom, and collectors vie to snap up the rarities. In the evening a festive banquet hosted all attendees and was topped off with mind-blowing feats of close-up magic. (Magic and puzzles are close kindreds when it comes to tantalizing the mind.)
Thanks to Jane Hansen for taking all these great digital photos.
An abundance of German puzzles.
William Waite with his many puzzle designs.
Kadon will publish one of his beautiful tiling puzzles soon.
The ornately inlaid 3-D puzzles of the late, great Czech puzzle maker, Josef Pelikan.
Fred Armitage tackles the elusive IPP-22 puzzle designed by Kate Jones for the IPP design competition. Didn't win but did stump the puzzlers, at least for a while. Photo courtesy of Martin Watson.
Dick and Kate Jones at the puzzlers' banquet.
