Jigsaws – They’re a Puzzle!

Nothing beats the excitement of lifting the lid on a fresh jigsaw puzzle – the colours and shapes of the pieces, their woody-cardboard smell, and the challenge and promise of hours of fun to come. It’s a heady experience! But to whom do we owe the pleasure of jigsaw puzzles, how have they evolved over the years, and what can we expect from them in the future? Join us, below, to find out.

Educational

Jigsaws can teach us a great deal about the world, but did you know they were actually first designed to be an educational tool? Map engraver, John Spilsbury, is credited with creating the first jigsaw puzzle in 1762 when he fixed one of his maps to a piece of wood and cut it into pieces along the borders of the countries it depicted. The puzzle was designed to help school children get to grips with geography.

Pricey puzzles

The first jigsaws were called ‘dissected maps’ and they cost a pretty penny (as much as a working-class man earned in a week!). These puzzles were usually to be found only in the hands of students attending elite boarding schools!

For big people too

Jigsaws began to be enjoyed by adults in the mid 1800s, but gained in popularity even more by the end of the century. Part of the reason for the increase in interest centred on technological advances. Printing onto wood became possible, cheaper and more ‘cuttable’ wood (such as plywood) had been invented, and ‘jigsaws’ (saws capable of cutting out interesting shapes) were being made.

On the cards

The rise in popularity of jigsaw puzzles led, in the early 1800s, to them being printed onto cardboard. These puzzles were initially eschewed by jigsaw-lovers as being ‘inferior’ to wooden versions. Cardboard jigsaw puzzles became more accepted around the start of World War II when plywood was in short supply. These cheaper puzzles were often made available to soldiers to keep them entertained during downtime, and families often sent them to loved ones on the front, as gifts.

What’s what with ‘whimsies?’

Whimsy pieces are individual jigsaw puzzle pieces with a recognisable shape. For example, a single jigsaw piece may be in the shape of an animal, a vehicle, or a household appliance. Often, whimsy pieces reflect the theme of the puzzle (a garden themed jigsaw puzzle may contain individual pieces in the shape of flowers, vegetables, or birds, for example). Whimsy pieces were first designed by Victorian jigsaw makers who created these shapes on ‘a whim.’

Picture this

In the early 1900s, companies running railways and ocean cruises began using jigsaws to promote their businesses. These jigsaws often featured steam train engines or cruise liners. Once on board a cruise liner, it might even be possible to buy a postcard-sized jigsaw as a souvenir of your journey!

Netted

The rise of the internet has seen a new era of online digital jigsaw puzzling, but more advances are yet to come. With the introduction of AI (artificial intelligence), it is mooted that jigsaw fans will soon (if not already) be able to customise jigsaws to include a combination of personal scenes and individual difficulty levels.

Beat this

Yes, there are jigsaw world championships! They are organised by the World Jigsaw Puzzle Federation, and held each year in Valladolid, Spain. There are team events (with 4 people at a time working on the same puzzle), pairs, and individual events. Teams work on puzzles of between 1,000 and 2,000-pieces, pairs are challenged with 500 or 1,000 piece puzzles, and individuals tackle 500-piece jigsaws.

Hooked!

There’s a reason why jigsaws are universally popular – and it’s all to do with reward. Whenever human beings rise to a challenge (and that includes completing a jigsaw) and accomplish it, they feel a sense of success. With this success comes the release of a natural ‘happiness’ chemical known as dopamine. This ‘high’ is what keeps jigsaw fans looking for the same experience – and why they inevitably seek out a new (often more challenging) jigsaw!

Feel like some jigsaw fun today? For fun free online jigsaws, check out I’m a Puzzle or have a look at the GrownUps puzzle in the games menu.