What is a Jigsaw Puzzle?

A jigsaw puzzle is a picture that has been printed on a solid material such as wood or cardboard and cut into interlocking pieces. When the these cut out interlocking pieces are correctly assembled the picture is seen completed. Jigsaw puzzles usually are sold in a container displaying the picture, which can be used as a guide to complete the puzzle.

Who Invented the Jigsaw Puzzle?

The jigsaw puzzle was invented by a British mapmaker named John Spilsbury in 1760. John Spilsbury mounted one of his maps on a piece of hardboard. He then carefully cut around the borders of the countries using a fine bladed marquetry saw. This was used to teach British children geography.

How did the Jigsaw Puzzle get its Name?

Originally these puzzles were called ‘dissections’ In the 1880’s the name changed to jigsaw puzzles because people mistakenly thought that the puzzle pieces were cut out with a jigsaw. The puzzles pieces were actually cut out with a fret saw, but the name stuck.

How did the Jigsaw Puzzle Develop Over Time?

The first jigsaw puzzles were expensive because they were hand crafted, and thought of as entertainment by the higher society who were the ones that could afford them. Early jigsaw puzzles were called push-fit puzzles and were simple and did not interlock. The cost of puzzles came down as technology developed and they could be manufactured. The height of popularity for jigsaw puzzles was in the early twentieth century, and when  interlocking puzzle pieces were invented popularity soared.

During the Great Depression, jigsaw puzzles became a very popular form of family entertainment when drugstores and libraries started renting them out. Antique wooden and cardboard puzzles are highly sought after as collectibles, and completed puzzles are even more valuable . Wooden jigsaw puzzles are considered the best jigsaw puzzles as the jigsaw pieces are handcrafted using mechanical scroll saws. Modern jigsaw puzzles are made of cardboard, with a photograph or artwork glued on to it. The cardboard is then punch-cut into pieces using metal dies.