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1882 · ref. 3220299 — A nest of nine wooden blocks ranging in size from 78 x78 x 46 mm to 182 x 182 x 60 mm each with a chromolithograph wrap-around illustration depicting European countries with statistical information; contained in the original box with a wrap around title label including four cartouche scenes printed in blue; with a sliding lid replaced. Each of the blocks is illustrated with a typical scene from European countries Russia the largest block showing a number of troikas in a winter landscape Germany & Austria with a view of Vienna Sweden and Denmark with mining for iron Turkey & Greece with a view of Istanbul etc. Also included are cartouches with basic information on the population and chief products of each country. The now ubiquitous graduated nested set of blocks for children was quite a late development in toy design with the earliest known patent being applied for in the US in 1881. Watilliaux's Tour of Babel was first marketed as interlocking jigsaw like pieces that could be joined together as hexagons and then stacked to form a tower that was issued at the time of the 1878 Paris Exposition here depicted as the illustration representing France. However when first American nested blocks began to appear Watilliaux evidently adapted the printed design and applied it to his own set of graduated blocks. Unfortunately this reworking did not quite fit the increased surface area of the blocks and a blank section has perforce had to be filled by a section of green glazed paper. It also necessitated the dropping the country of Switzerland and in that case the original pattern was too large to be adapted without their being some lose to the design. No doubt the original design had some educational value although this is somewhat lessened as there is no dexterity needed to correctly interlock the jigsaw pieces and instead only to stack and knock down the Tour de Babel. In 1874 Charles Watelliaux took over the publisher and manufacturer of many board games and toys Bernard Coudert and became a major producer until its sale in 1908 to Revenaz & Tabernat. Watilliaux, Editeur, Lith. J. Marie, Faub St Denis, 61.