Charley Harper: Mystery of the Missing Migrants 1000-piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007) Mystery of the Missing Migrants, 1990 “For centuries, the neotropical migrants in this picture have shuttled between winter homes in the tropical rainforest and nesting sites in our woodlands. Now their populations are plummeting. Why? Habitat destruction. Down There? Up Here? Is your favorite songster in this flock? . . . Are silent springs forthcoming? Remember the canary in the coal mine?”—Charley Harper The bottom of this puzzle’s box identifies the 45 threatened birds presented in Harper’s best-selling painting. While you fit these 1,000 pieces together, send out a big beam of hope that these avian treasures will rebound.

Charley Harper

Midcentury modernist Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007) portrayed the natural world with heart and humor. In vivid colors and simple shapes, his cardinals, ladybugs, and clever critters have become icons of wildlife art. His illustrations were published in magazines and books, notably Ford Times and The Giant Golden Book of Biology. A longtime conservationist, Harper created posters for more than 50 nature- and conservation-oriented organizations. His US National Park Service posters—massive, requiring a year each to paint—showcase delightful depictions of entire ecosystems in a style he defined as “minimal realism.” In his adopted hometown of Cincinnati, his public works are the legacy of an artist truly beguiled by the wild, one whose art was a quiet catalyst for ecological action.