Gillian Thornton pieces together the origins of jigsaws
Gillian Thornton pieces together the origins of her absorbing new hobby.
JIGSAW fans come from all walks of life. Actor Patrick Stewart frames his best efforts to hang on the wall, while “The Greatest Showman” actor Hugh Jackman posts his completed puzzles on Instagram.
Business magnate Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, compete over identical puzzles, whilst former Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood uses jigsaws to relax.
Even Her Majesty the Queen enjoys poring over a puzzle on a winter evening at Sandringham.
I have always enjoyed the occasional jigsaw, but like many of us forced to stay at home during lockdown, I now happily admit to being an addict.
I even find myself swapping the highs and lows of puzzling with friends: the excitement of starting a new puzzle; the challenge of tricky designs. And, of course, the horror of finding you’re one piece short!
But where did jigsaws originate?
One of the most challenging puzzles in my collection is a reproduction of the Ordnance Survey map for my home area, a welcome birthday present from the family.
I was fascinated to learn that the first ever jigsaw was created in the 1760s by London map-maker John Spilsbury.
He mounted a map on to wood, cut round the countries, and gave it to the local school.
The idea soon caught on and other “dissected puzzles” were created, which is why a jigsaw fan is still known as a “dissectologist”.
Not until the 1880s did the invention of the jigsaw cutting tool lend its name to this increasingly popular puzzle.
New lithographic printing techniques produced high-quality printed pictures in bright colours, with jigsaws now aimed at adults as well as children.
Puzzle designs became more sophisticated with the invention of the treadle jigsaw, a tool that enabled manufacturers to create a wide variety of intricate shapes at a much faster rate.
Victorian puzzle designers were particularly fond of “whimsy” pieces, quirky cuts in recognisable shapes that were often cut on a whim.
This technique is still used by Wentworth Puzzles, who also produce a range of brainteasers with no straight edges.
My unique map jigsaw has a piece the shape of a house at the centre to mark my home, but modern puzzles can incorporate pieces in shapes ranging from animals and birds to letters of the alphabet and even sports equipment.
By the 1930s, train companies and cruise liners were using jigsaws to promote travel: subjects that are still popular today.
Around the same time, photographic reproductions first appeared on box lids.
Before that, puzzlers had no choice but to tip all of the pieces on to a table and try to make sense of them.
With plywood in short supply at the outbreak of World War II, cardboard became the norm for jigsaws, making them more affordable for the masses.
As materials and technology improved, so, too, did the creativity of puzzle makers.
Today, we can have favourite photos made into puzzles and do virtual jigsaws on our tablets. We can buy traditional puzzles at jigsaw fairs and car-boot sales, online or on the high street.
But one thing doesn’t change for dissectologists – the satisfaction of putting that final piece into place! ■