The History of the Jigsaw Puzzle
The first Jigsaw Puzzle was produced in 1760 by John
Spilsbury, a London engraver and mapmaker. 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 puzzle
making. 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 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!
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