1. Why John Spilsbury's Wooden Map Puzzles Were Made for Learning
In 1760s London, map maker John Spilsbury (1739–1769) sold "dissected maps." He pasted maps onto wooden boards and cut them along borders and county lines. These items were intended to help children learn geography by assembling and taking apart the maps. They are among the oldest commercially sold puzzles. [1]
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London holds one example from 1767. It is a 54-piece map of England and Wales, cut by county. The paper is pasted on mahogany wood, and it comes in a round wooden box. This is not the single oldest piece, but one of the earliest. [1]
If one puzzle piece represented one county, solving the puzzle meant building the shape of a country with your own hands. But who could actually afford to buy such items?
2. Why the First Map Puzzles Were Sold to Wealthy Families
The dissected maps of the 1760s were very expensive. They were initially aimed at aristocrats and wealthy families. [4] Lady Charlotte Finch, who was the governess for King George III's children, is described as having a wooden shelf with drawers to store puzzles. [4]
Because craftsmen cut each board by hand, it was difficult to make many puzzles, and prices did not drop. For puzzles to become common, the way they were made needed to change. But before that, we must check one thing: Was Spilsbury truly the first in the world?
3. Was the 1766 or 1767 Map Puzzle Really the First Jigsaw in the World?
The "first jigsaw" is often said to be a European map from 1766. [2] However, the item in the V&A Museum is from 1767. Because dates vary by source, this article uses "the 1760s." Spilsbury appeared in a 1763 directory as an engraver who cut wooden maps for education. No physical items from before that time remain. [2]
There are letters from 1759 and 1762 showing that Madame Beaumont, a French educator active in Britain from 1748 to 1762, used wooden maps. [3] Therefore, we cannot strictly say Spilsbury was the "first." The evidence only shows he was one of the earliest people to spread this as a tool for teaching geography.
When did the name "jigsaw" attach to this game?
4. When Did the Word "Jigsaw Puzzle" First Appear in Records?
Spilsbury’s works were originally called "dissection." The first record of the term "jigsaw puzzle" is from 1906. [5] This is about 140 years after the first map puzzles were sold in the 1760s.
Books state that the first map puzzles were cut with a fret saw, a thin saw for woodwork. The name "jigsaw" is explained in descriptions from the late 19th century, when fret saws became the main cutting tool. The word appeared around 1880. [6] However, there are various theories about the name's origin, and Spilsbury did not cut his maps with modern electric jigsaws.
By the time the name was settled, puzzles were moving away from being just children's educational tools. The era where adults became obsessed was close at hand.
Safety Note: By the time the name was recorded, puzzles were shifting from children's educational tools to adult entertainment.
5. How Did Price and Quantity Change When Puzzles Moved from Wood to Cardboard?
Around 1900, puzzles for adults appeared, and a great craze began in 1908. Parker Brothers reportedly turned their entire factory over to puzzle making in 1909. [7]
In the 1930s, puzzles became a great craze again in the United States. At the peak in early 1933, it is said that 10 million were sold per week (based on one secondary source). [7]
Die-cut cardboard puzzles supported this boom. A die with blades arranged on a board (a puzzle die) is pressed into cardboard by machine power, cutting it all at once. Wooden puzzles required hand-cutting with a fret saw, one by one, so paper puzzles became cheaper. [6] In the autumn of 1932, a 25-cent "Jig of the Week" appeared at newsstands every Wednesday. [7]
In the 1930s, die-cut cardboard puzzles spread as cheap products. When did they come to Japan?
Safety Note: From around 1900, puzzles for adults appeared, and a great craze occurred in 1908.
6. When Did Jigsaw Puzzles Spread in Japan?
In Japan, it is said that a company called Yanoman released the first domestically produced jigsaw puzzles around 1974. [8] 1974 was also the year the Mona Lisa was exhibited at the National Museum in Ueno, Tokyo, causing a huge boom in jigsaw puzzles.
This information comes from a site introducing trivia. It is not backed by official company documents, so the statement is kept as "it is said."
7. What Can the Side of a Puzzle Piece Tell You?
If you have a jigsaw puzzle at home, take one piece and look at its cross-section from the side. Can you see a layer of cardboard under the printed paper? If you have a wooden puzzle, compare the texture and thickness.
Compare the number of pieces. The number written on your box versus Spilsbury’s 54-piece map shows how different the counts are. If your puzzle has 500 pieces, that is about 9 times more. Think about how much effort differs between cutting one by one by hand versus cutting once with a die.
If you want to consult original sources, you can read the photos and descriptions of the 1767 item on the V&A Museum’s collection page (in English).