The First Jigsaw Puzzle Maker
The History of jigsaw puzzles are over 250 years old
The world in tens, hundreds and thousands of pieces. Landscapes, animals, fairytale characters, cars, ships, paintings, architecture.... no, no, it's not the spectre of the apocalypse, it's the perfectly familiar jigsaw puzzle. Manufacturers of jigsaw puzzles do not complain about a lack of inspiration, because the theme of the puzzle pictures can be practically anything. Each puzzle manufacturer certainly has its own favourite motifs and themes, but openness to customers means that their needs and the prevailing trends set the pace. The same was true of the creation of the first jigsaw puzzles. Their manufacturer, although it may be too much to say, was John Spilsbury.
The first jigsaw puzzle maker
A jigsaw puzzle maker would be amazed to see what an evolution they have undergone since the 18th century. Or, to be more precise, since 1767, when the London mapmaker John Spilsbury glued a map to a thin piece of wood and cut them into pieces. Each piece was cut along the border of a particular country. Creating jigsaw puzzles turned out to be a good idea, as the educational puzzle was great for learning geography. That is why the first jigsaw puzzle manufacturer decided to sell them. At the time, not everyone could afford to buy them, hence Spilsbury's customers were wealthy people. They bought the puzzles for their children, of course.
Here it is worth noting that the then creator of the jigsaw puzzle did not create them in the form we know so well. The first jigsaw puzzles did not interlock, which meant that they required greater precision when putting them together, plus extreme care had to be taken. Even the slightest jiggle of the table caused the picture to "roll out".
The first jigsaw puzzles for adults
Early puzzles, known as "dissections", were not just for children though. They were also a trendy pastime among wealthy adults. However, wooden jigsaw puzzles were quite expensive at the time, costing around $5 each (equivalent to $140 today). This made them largely inaccessible to working-class adults.
It was not until around 1900 that jigsaw puzzles for adults truly became popular and more widely available.This was facilitated by the introduction of less expensive cardboard puzzles. By 1908, puzzles had become a staple for the upper classes in society. The advent of cardboard puzzles made them more affordable for the general adult population.
So while wooden jigsaw puzzles existed earlier as educational tools, their popularity and accessibility as a pastime for adults really took off around the turn of the 20th century with the introduction of more affordable cardboard puzzles.
Create your own puzzles with the puzzle making machine
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Nowadays, it is not only possible to buy jigsaw puzzles with anytheme, with different numbers of pieces or of various sizes. Custom-made jigsawpuzzles have become very popular. This is an excellent idea for, among otherthings, presents for children in kindergartens, schools, as well as for companyemployees or as a gift for clients. The world of jigsaw puzzles has endlesspossibilities! Do you want to knowmore? Contact us!
