This got me thinking about the history of jigsaw puzzles: when were they invented, what is a jigsaw, and any other nerdy things I could research. Here are some fun facts I discovered. John Spilsbury, a London cartographer and engraver, is believed to have produced the first "jigsaw" puzzle around It was a map glued to a flat piece of wood and then cut into pieces following the lines of the countries. These early puzzles were known as "dissections," and they were beneficial for teaching geography.
But they were not just for children; they were a trendy pastime among the wealthy adults as well. Made of wood and handcrafted, only the very wealthy could afford them. And did old John use a jigsaw to cut apart his "dissection"? No, he did not because the jigsaw had yet to be invented! He likely used a marquetry saw, which is still a popular hand saw utilizing a blade held between its curved frame.
The jigsaw was invented in It was a vertical reciprocating saw with a treadle to operate the blade. It was also known as a fretsaw or scrollsaw. Jigsaw came from the nickname jig, which was used because of the saw's "rapid up-and-down motion. The name "jigsaw puzzle" didn't appear until , and the modern portable jigsaw wasn't introduced until Because of its close association with a sewing machine, those early saws were mostly operated by women, and "bonus," they could pay women less for their work.
Many puzzle companies claim to have the biggest or largest jigsaw puzzle: Grafika boasts that "Travel around Art," with 54, pieces, is the biggest. Kodak staked its claim for the world's largest jigsaw puzzle with the aptly named "World's Largest Jigsaw Puzzle. There's also a Guinness World Records giant, which claims to have the most pieces, ,, and was completed with an overall measurement of 48 ft 8. The puzzle depicted a lotus flower with six petals.
I will stick with my pieces. Fun fact: piece puzzles don't contain exactly pieces; most are or to make the correct shape. During the Great Depression of , manufacturers produced 10 million puzzles a week, and people could rent puzzles for a nickel a night.
