by 
Merfish
ANSWERS: 2
-
'The origins of jigsaw puzzles go back to the 1760s when European map makers pasted maps onto wood and cut them into small pieces. The "dissected map" has been a successful educational toy ever since. American children still learn geography by playing with puzzle maps of the United States or the world. The eighteenth century inventors of jigsaw puzzles would be amazed to see the transformations of the last 230 years. Children's puzzles have moved from lessons to entertainment, showing diverse subjects like animals, nursery rhymes, and modern tales of super heroes and Disney. But the biggest surprise for the early puzzle makers would be how adults have embraced puzzling over the last century.' JSP: http://www.mgcpuzzles.com/mgcpuzzles/puzzle_history/
-
Per The American Jigsaw Puzzle Society: "It is generally agreed that the first jigsaw puzzle was produced around 1760 by John Spilsbury, a London engraver and mapmaker... The end product was an educational pastime, designed as an aid in teaching British children their geography. The idea caught on and, until about 1820, jigsaw puzzles remained primarily educational tools." http://www.jigsaw-puzzle.org/jigsaw-puzzle-history.html The date is supported by this site: http://www.mgcpuzzles.com/mgcpuzzles/puzzle_history/ The information in general is supported here: http://www.puzzlehistory.com/faq.htm#hist You'll note that the latter site includes a bibliography if you have any further interest in the subject.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC