The Kennebec Historical Society’s June presentation, “Jigsaw Puzzles, A Short History, will begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, at the Maine State Library, 230 State St., Augusta. The free event is co-sponsored by the library.

Jigsaw puzzles originated in Europe in the mid-1700s in the form of “dissected maps” to teach geography to young children. American production began around 1815 for children’s puzzles, and almost 100 years later for puzzles that would interest adults.

Anne Williams has been fascinated with jigsaw puzzles since early childhood and has collected seriously since the late 1970s. While teaching at Bates College and the University of Pennsylvania she authored two books, several exhibition catalogs, and many articles on jigsaw puzzle history. In 2014, the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York, acquired 7,500 of her puzzles and related research materials for its permanent collection.

Donations will be accepted.

For more information, email [email protected].