Satona

A range of Waddington’s card puzzles packed in one-pint milk cartons.

Waddington’s started out as a printer and, in the 1930’s purchased the Satona Company which specialised in making waxed card containers for soft drinks, including milk. In the 1940’s they came up with the idea of packing jigsaws in one-pint waxed card milk containers, presumably due to shortage of raw materials caused by WW2. The top folded in and was kept closed with a metal clip. They were printed in various background colours, ie red, green, blue, brown and purple.

The puzzles usually had about 180 interlocking pieces stamped out from thin-gauge cardboard and were around 16” x 9” in size. The subjects were untitled. They have been divided into two series namely unnumbered puzzles and those with design numbers.

Some cartons have been printed with selling prices, initially 2/- (10p) but later 2/3 (11.25p).

Information has come from the illustrated examples, Barbara Middlestorb’s Waddington's archives and other items available commercially.