WG Evans was a good quality maker whose jigsaws are less well known than the famous brand Tuck, but whose puzzles are similar to their classic push-fit Zag-Zaws. The ‘Picture Puzzle Co’ and ‘Jig Saw Puzzle Co’, all have very similar addresses in Stanhope St.
WG Evans jigsaws are generally recognised by their characteristic whimsies, which often have a halo of pieces around them, and by their packaging. The larger photos, of the 263pc jigsaw show this. The smaller photos of the 200pc puzzle is a less good cut (in fact I wonder if it has been put in the wrong box, it is so different from their usual cuts.)
Jigasaurus says this:
www.thejigasaurus.com/jigasaurus/v/evans/
"W.G. Evans & Sons, (Woodwork Manufacturers), Williams Mews, Stanhope Street, London, N.W.1, were a little-known and very limited producer of good quality wooden jigsaw puzzles, although this was probably not their main business. Examples are very scarce. Whimsies also featured in some of their puzzles, with popular shapes including flags, horse-heads, stars and swords.
I have seen occasional examples of early "Tuck’s Zag-Zaw" puzzles which match this Evans cutting style, probably indicating a link between the two companies. Given the latter company’s prime business of furniture manufacture, it seems likely that it was Raphael Tuck who cut their puzzles, perhaps before Tuck’s changed to their more familiar style of Zag-Zaw puzzles. Another British brand of puzzles, that of the rather impressively named Jig Saw Puzzle Co., features a very similar style of cut and presentation. "
