The origin of puzzles or the origin of puzzles

The origin of puzzles Jigsaw puzzles have a history of about 235 years. As early as 1760, this popular and beneficial form of entertainment appeared in France and England almost at the same time. Glue a picture to cardboard and cut it into small, irregular pieces. Initially these pictures were educational, either accompanied by short essays suitable for young people to read, or imparting historical or geographical knowledge to the emerging bourgeoisie. In 1762, during the reign of Louis XV in France, a salesman named Duma began selling map puzzles and achieved modest success. This kind of map puzzle requires rearranging the pieces and is a very elegant entertainment. In the same year, in London, a printer named John Spilsbury came up with a similar idea and invented an enduring jigsaw puzzle. With great skill he glued a map of England to the back of a thin dining table and then cut the map into small pieces precisely along the edges of the counties. This idea would have brought huge wealth, but poor Spilsbury did not get the money. He only lived to be 29 years old and did not live to see the huge success of the jigsaw puzzle. The real significance of his success was that he opened two important markets for his invention: the emerging middle-class consumers hungry for knowledge and status, and the harsh and demanding British schools of his day. Spilsbury lived in an era when understanding maps was a sign of being a gentleman. The puzzle craze reaches its peak with the Grand Tour, a grand event that showcases an entire Europe in detail. In this sense, jigsaw puzzles are about using puzzle pieces to carefully study the geography of Europe as a whole - countries, principalities, counties, cities, towns, rivers, etc. Knowing the map back then was as proud as having your own home page now. Puzzles quickly became a well-established entertainment product with a broad market, and consumers could buy puzzles anywhere. At this time puzzles were used not only for education and entertainment, but also for commercial advertising and political propaganda. World War I (1914-1918) is a good example. Cheap jigsaw puzzles depicting brave warriors risking their lives to fight for king and country were popular on both sides and sold well. Jigsaw puzzles have become a way to get closer to people's inner worlds, enter their homes and spread information. Jigsaw puzzles joined newspapers, radios, and the upcoming first generation of television as a simple and direct form of mass media. Should people be encouraged to travel by train? Many puzzles showcasing majestic trains and happy tourists emerge. Every new invention and trend—steamboats, airplanes, automobiles, and the latest and boldest women’s swimsuits—has had an appearance on the puzzle. After the world economic crisis in 1929, the Great Depression that swept across North America was the pinnacle of the popularity of puzzles. Go to the nearest newsstand and buy a 300-piece jigsaw puzzle for just 25 cents, and you can forget about your difficult life and immerse yourself in the dream of piecing together your happy days. The rich and famous are also indulging in the craze. In New York, two unemployed salesmen, John Henry and Frank Ware, made a fortune using the original Spilsbury puzzle design. What's their secret? High quality reproduction of fine plywood. Henry and Weir quickly established relationships with the Astors, the Vanderbilts, Bing Crosby and Marilyn Monroe, and their business was booming and their fortunes continued to flow.