Jigsaw

I’ve just completed a 1000-piece jigsaw. I don’t know if it’s accurately 1,000 pieces or just an approximation. I didn’t count the pieces, nor do I intend to. Having reached the end, almost, I found that three pieces were missing. It may be that the cats found their way into the dining room, where they’re not usually allowed, and knocked a couple of pieces to the floor.

Maybe the missing parts will appear eventually, and maybe they won’t. I’m not going to worry about them.

Jigsaw puzzles first appeared in the second half of the 18^th century. Around 1760 John Spilsbury, a British mapmaker, pasted a map of Europe onto wood and cut round the countries’ borders, for it to serve as a geographical visual aid. This original version was known as a ‘dissection’ or a ‘dissected map.’ Such maps were manufactured for the children of wealthy families.

 The name ‘jigsaw’ was adopted from the middle of the 19^th century because a jigsaw was the tool used to cut the pieces. Fretsaws or scroll saws were other tools used.  Why were the puzzles called jigsaws and not fretsaws or scroll saws?

They were known as jigsaw puzzles from 1906 and became an adult obsession in the following years. Jigsaws grew in popularity throughout the 20^th century with the advent of cheaper cardboard puzzles. They became particularly prevalent during the Great Depression of 1929 to 1939 (1941 in the USA) 

This global economic downturn was caused by strict trade tariffs, stock speculation, the collapse of banks, and mismanagement of agriculture. Called the ‘devil’s decade’ in UK, it resulted in loss of industry and mass unemployment which ended with the commencement of the Second World War.

There was a resurgent interest in jigsaws during the Covid Pandemic, when people were restricted in their activities and thrown back on their own resources.

Modern jigsaws take a variety of forms, from simple wooden puzzles for very young children, to three-dimensional constructions. As with all hobbies there are dedicated enthusiasts whose entire lives seem to revolve around their interest. The annual World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships have been conducted since 2019.