Jigsaw Puzzles Gifts

The History of Jigsaw Puzzles

The jigsaw puzzle was invented by John Spilsbury, an English map maker and engraver. Around 1760, he created an educational device by attaching a picture of England to a thin sheet of mahogany and then cutting out each of the counties using a fret saw. Others copied his concept and puzzles started to appear with various geographical and historical themes. They were educational in nature and aimed at children.

By the 19th century, puzzles had become popular amongst wealthy children whose families could afford to buy them. Puzzles were fashioned from expensive woods and were labour intensive to produce. The industrial age saw new techniques developed which meant that puzzles could be produced from thinner sheets of wood. Improved printing processes and the invention of the treadle operated jigsaw which gave the puzzles their name led to a greater range of images and themes. Adults then started to enjoy jigsaws.

The jigsaws were still expensive and the subject matter aimed at the upper classes but innovations introduced by Raphael Tuck and his sons in Germany were soon to make the games more commercial. The Germans produced varied and colourful images, they introduced more intricate cutting techniques, started to use plywood and thick card and produced attractive packaging including the image of the puzzle. Tucks ideas were picked up in America and puzzles became all the rage. Demand increased and new production methods were created to cut several puzzles simultaneously.

In the 1920’s a new technique was developed to die cut cardboard, this dramatically reduced the cost of the puzzles making them affordable for all.