PORT ARTHUR PUZZLES from 1905

To Quote Wikipedia :

The Battle of Port Arthur (Japanese: 旅順港閉塞作戦, Ryojunkō Heisoku Sakusen, February 8-9, 1904) was the starting battle of the Russo-Japanese War. It began with a surprise night attack by a squadron of Japanese destroyers on the Russian fleet anchored at Port Arthur, Manchuria, and continued with an engagement of major surface combatants the following morning. The battle ended inconclusively, and further skirmishing off of Port Arthur continued to May 1904. Losing at Port Arthur for the Russians---and especially for Tsar Nicholas II---was not only inconceivable to the world at large but also fraught with dire circumstances for the Imperial Russian regime; the Russian people, from the nobility down to the recently-emancipated serfs, lost confidence in the military; this was a direct causal factor for the Russian Revolution of 1905--- and was well-remembered upon yet-more-disastrous defeats in World War I.

In the West there was considerable nervousness about Russia's imperial intentions and the Russian-Japanese War was followed with very great interest.

The Puzzle Museum has many puzzles commemorating historical events including several on this war.

The Dexterity puzzle, above, is very rare and almost unique in having its original label on the back.

The Dexterity Puzzle below is also a rare survivor being made of fragile plaster and contained in a box made of poor quality acidic card.

Two more small Port Arthur dexterity puzzles