Puzzle News
Jigsaw Puzzle History - It All Started With A Map
Who did Invent the Jigsaw Puzzle?
The history of the Jigsaw puzzles can be traced back to 3000 B.C., where puzzles were originally used as a religious ritual in Egypt. However, the first modern day appearance of puzzles can be traced back to the 18th century and have their roots in the related puzzle known as the "Tangram". They were originally known as Disentailleur, or "de-disentangler" in French, which is a word that refers to the process of removing jigsaws from their mold.
The invention of jigsaw puzzles is credited to John Spilsbury, a London engraver and mapmaker. In 1760, he came up with the idea to mount a map onto hardwood and, using a fine saw, cut around the borders of each country. His objective was to create an educational tool that Children could use to learn about geography.
By the 1850's jigsaw puzzles had become an entertainment. Advances in printing and cutting methods progressively reduced prices, culminating in the die-cut cardboard puzzles that are mass-produced today, but the same technological advances also reduced the individuality of puzzles and all but wiped-out the art of the puzzle maker. Jigsaw2order.com is pioneering the comeback of the custom made Jigsaw Puzzle by combining individuality with modern production techniques.
The Golden Age of Jigsaw Puzzles
The Golden Age of jigsaw puzzles came in the 1920s and 30s with companies like Chad Valley and Victory in Great Britain and Einson-Freeman, Viking and others in the United States producing a wide range of puzzles reflecting both the desire for sentimental scenes, enthusiasm for the new technologies in rail and shipping and, last but not least, new marketing strategies.
It might seem strange at first that a non-necessity like a jigsaw puzzle would sell so well in the Depression when money was in short supply. But the appeal, then as now, was that the Jigsaw Puzzle bought a good deal of entertainment for a small price. The weekly jigsaw puzzle could constitute a solitary or group activity, and would occupy one's time enjoyably for hours. And, of course, a jigsaw puzzle was "recyclable," in that one could break the puzzle up once one had completed it and then pass it on to another family member or friend. Another point to bear in mind that jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts in the Depression discovered what many in our own time are rediscovering - that working on a jigsaw puzzle is a great way to reduce stress!
More recently, the pandemic of 2020 forced people to stay home which spiked the demand for stay at home activities such as Jigsaw Puzzles. For a few months in 2020, store shelves were empty of Jigsaw Puzzles and many puzzle manufactures were forced to close to prevent the spread of the virus. Those that did stay open could not keep up with demand with sales increasing by 10000% or more.
Jigsaw2order.com is a leading manufacturer of Jigsaw Puzzles to retail and trade customers. Let us turn your digital images into a photo jigsaw puzzles or multi-photo collage puzzles.
