Hit songs were penned, musicals were scored, and even comic strips were drawn all in honor of the crossword craze. Popularity soared and the crossword puzzle became the “it” hobby of the flapper era. The league introduced the standards we now expect when solving a puzzle – things like symmetry or the ratio of black squares. I’m not sure Simon shared her passion so much as he wanted to avoid awkward family dinners, but despite the reluctant motivation he ended up with a blockbuster hit.īuilding on this momentum, enthusiasts partnered with Simon & Schuster to form the Amateur Cross Word Puzzle League of America. (She sounds like my kind of gal!) Simon’s dear aunt was absolutely enamored with crossword puzzles and, at her insistence, Simon promised to publish a limited release of a crossword puzzle book. Richard Simon’s aunt, however, did not play by these rules. It might not be the best time to stick out your neck and take a risk. During those early years its best to work on building your brand. It’s never easy to start a new business, but I imagine being an entrepreneur in the 1920s was beset with all sorts of challenges. Lincoln Schuster were carving a path in the publishing world. Now, let’s fast-forward our timeline by about a decade. Wynne approved the proofs with the revised title and America’s new pastime was born. Now before you get concerned that I made a typo, let me explain! When Wynne submitted his creation to the beleaguered illustration department, someone swapped the words in the title. Perhaps inspired by the snowflakes tickling his office window, he created the first word-cross puzzle in the shape of a diamond.
Wynne was transported to his childhood in Liverpool, playing Magic Squares with his friends. What sort of brainteaser could delight his audience, but also raise the bar? As legend would have it, that’s when inspiration struck. He and his fellow editors wanted to give their faithful readers something new for the holiday season. The snow was falling over Manhattan and Wynne was tackling a challenge. The World’s growing readership couldn’t get enough of the sensational storylines and the entertaining Fun section (which was under Wynne’s purview as editor).Įverything was coming up roses until a fateful Christmas in 1913. The World pioneered “yellow” journalism, publishing newspapers with bold headlines and tackling even bolder issues (like corruption or big business). An immigrant, like Wynne, he set about creating a new kind of national newspaper. The publication was led by the firebrand, Joseph Pulitzer. Numbers 53-63 housed the headquarters for the New York World and soon Wynne found himself on the payroll. For a young journalist, the lights shone brightest on Park Row in Manhattan. Even back then, the big apple was the place to test your mettle. Wynne found work at the Pittsburgh Press, but he kept his eye on New York City.
#Margaret crossword editor full
At nineteen he came to America, full of hope and the kind of grit you need to make it as a newspaper man in the early 1900s. Young Arthur probably didn’t think much of this nursery game during his academic years. In fact, in the early days, these kinds of letter games were marketed to little ones, as a means to improve their vocabulary. A children’s game, where kiddos were given a collection of words that they arranged into a square so that letters would read the same across and down. As a young boy, Arthur Wynne (the grandfather of crosswords), played a game called Magic Squares. While there have been all manner of word-related games for as long as humans have had written language, the ancestor of the crossword comes from Victorian England. The first thing that surprised me about this beloved pastime is that it’s a relative newcomer. So let’s take a peek into the history of the crossword puzzle… But as a student of vintage I know that it’s often the familiar things that have the most interesting histories. Like a setting sun or a morning chorus of songbirds. I just assumed they’ve always been and always will be. All my life I’ve taken crossword puzzles for granted. As I was enjoying episode after episode, it awakened my curiosity.
#Margaret crossword editor series
A dear friend of mine recently introduced me to a mystery series centered around a crossword puzzle editor.
She always had a word search book handy and I feel close to her as I carry on this tradition. I can thank my grandma for getting me into puzzles and word searches. Most nights after walking my dogs and brushing my teeth, I settle into bed with a crossword puzzle.
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