| The history of jigsaw puzzles goes a long way; it | | | | easier for puzzlers to assemble their puzzle |
| is said that in the eighteenth century the persons | | | | without losing any pieces. |
| who invented jigsaw puzzles were trying to | | | | From then on, the puzzle continued to be a |
| promote a new modality of teaching Geography. | | | | regular adult diversion. Even during difficult times, |
| Nowadays, puzzles have moved from lessons to | | | | people continued to buy a puzzle because they |
| entertainment, presenting various subjects. Still, | | | | found in it an escape from their daily problems |
| the biggest surprise when it comes to puzzles is | | | | and stress. Assembling "jigsaw puzzles" offered |
| the fact that adults seem to have embraced and | | | | people a sense of accomplishment that they |
| to enjoy them as much as children. | | | | couldn’t find anywhere else. Due to the high |
| The puzzles for adults emerged for the first time | | | | unemployment rate, people started to prefer |
| around the nineteenth century and they | | | | home amusements instead of restaurants and |
| presented quite a challenge. Most "jigsaw | | | | nightclubs. |
| puzzles" had the pieces cut straight on the color | | | | In time, puzzles became more affordable due to |
| lines and there was no color to signal which is the | | | | the fact that many unemployed skilled craftsmen |
| roof and which is the sky. Another problem of | | | | started to cut these entertaining items in their |
| the first puzzles is the fact that they did not | | | | home workshops and then to sell them. Another |
| interlock and a careless move could have ruined | | | | great step towards the popularity of "jigsaw |
| everything. | | | | puzzles" was the introduction of the die cut |
| Unlike "jigsaw puzzles" for children, the ones for | | | | cardboard puzzle for adults. The cheap cardboard |
| adults didn’t have a guide picture on the box | | | | enabled manufacturers to start mass production |
| and sometimes the title was vague and the | | | | and to lower their prices considerably. |
| subject of the puzzle remained a mystery until | | | | After the Second World War, "jigsaw puzzles" |
| the last piece was placed where it belonged. | | | | made from wood went into decline. Their prices |
| Wood puzzles were very expensive when they | | | | rose and the sales went down. The famous |
| first appeared because they had to cut one piece | | | | surviving brands of wood puzzles disappeared one |
| at a time and this is why only the high society | | | | by one. Nowadays, people who enjoy puzzles can |
| was able to enjoy this new form of | | | | choose from a significant number of various |
| entertainment. The best sales were on Saturday | | | | styles of wood jigsaw puzzles. Many puzzlers |
| mornings, when customers bought puzzles for | | | | seem to love the wood pieces of a puzzle and |
| their weekend house parties. | | | | the challenge of solving something that |
| The next years, puzzles suffered considerable | | | | doesn’t offer them any clues. |
| innovations. First of all, the famous game | | | | A puzzle draws you into its world and makes you |
| manufacturer Parker Brothers introduced figure | | | | forget about the daily problems and routine. |
| pieces, which made the puzzle easier to assemble | | | | Furthermore, the satisfaction you get when |
| and people were fascinated by pieces which had | | | | solving a puzzle that offered no clues is unique. As |
| the shapes of animals, plants or other recognizable | | | | we have seen, it looks like puzzles have an |
| objects. The second innovation refers to the | | | | impressive history and that they are here to stay. |
| interlocking style of the puzzles, which made it | | | | |