Clemens’ Silent Teacher Dissected Map of the United States

Late 19th-century educational tool celebrating American exceptionalism.

This fascinating puzzle map, called a ‘Silent Teacher’ for its ostensibly quiet educational purposes, was one of several issued by the Reverend E.J. Clemens in the late 19th century. In addition to teaching children geography, they also instilled a sense of nationalism (see box cover), helped establish American identity on a global stage, and promoted various products and services.

One side of the puzzle shows a map of the United States, with the wooden pieces roughly approximating to each state’s border. Oklahoma and the Indian Territory remain distinct, though only for about another decade. Two profiles of the continent between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can be seen at the bottom, while numerous steam and sailing ships ply the waters.

The verso presents an interesting advertisement for Sherwin-Williams Paints. The bold text highlights various products and their key features, while a composite image in the center shows bird’s eye views of administrative offices and manufacturing facilities across the country.

The puzzle was published by Rev. E.J. Clemens in Clayville, New York, around 1891. The New York Historical Society has a similar entry dated to 1882, though the inclusion of the Oklahoma Territory piece shows this example to be post-1890. Curiously, the label does not show Oklahoma, indicating it may have been re-used from an earlier issue. With regards to the box art, the NYHS has an excellent observation;

“The imagery on the box cover of this dissected map (puzzle) suggests that even school children were aware of the United States’ role as an international imperial power. The various national figures may represent immigrant streams. If so, then the African American contribution to the makeup of the American population has been purposely minimized and obscured. The woman lacks a national costume (in fact she wears nothing at all), implying that Black Americans were present but not welcome.”

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