Tuesday 4 November 2008

ABC Wednesday, P for Puzzles



to enlarge click first "View all images" then "Original View"


My husband and I made these jigsaw puzzles about 15 years ago. All of a sudden we started making one jigsaw puzzle after the other. So when my second daughter left for Australia in 1994, she sent us this beautiful puzzle of a painting Aboriginal man. A year later her husband-to-be was an Australian Aboriginal, who came with her for a month to get aquainted with us. My husband and I went to their wedding in June 1996. Well talking about jigsaw puzzles, I wondered when and where the first jigsaw puzzle was invented! I googled it and here it is...

"It is generally agreed that the first jigsaw puzzle was produced around 1760 by John Spilsbury, a London engraver and mapmaker. Spilsbury mounted one of his maps on a sheet of hardwood and cut around the borders of the countries using a fine-bladed marquetry saw. 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".

Thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who has hosted this ABC game for the third round to the letter P for ABC Wednesday. For more ABC posts click on ABC picture in my side bar.Join us in this wonderful meme!

32 comments:

ArneA said...

Liked your puzzle
:)

Gerald (Ackworth born) said...

So the first jigsaw was a map - we still have a jigsaw that is composed of the old counties of England, Scotland & Wales.

ellen b. said...

I love jigsaw puzzles! Lots of fond memories making them with my father and my kids! Fun bit of history...thanks.

Rune Eide said...

You have taught me something - once again. You have also explained the ABC W logo!

Petrus said...

Jigsaw puzzles can give one endless pleasure - days and days if not weeks depending on the size ..

Michele said...

Super neat post! I love puzzles! They take me a while to do but they offer such great therapy for me in so many ways. Great information!
~Michele~
Mountain Retreat- Canada

Rinkly Rimes said...

A fascinating entry. I'm intrigued by all the know-how that's gone into the presentation and the information is great. There's no doubt Google, if used properly, is a good educator.

Patty said...

I haven't put together a jigsaw puzzle in a long time. I use to love working them.

Leslie: said...

I never knew all this! How fascinating to learn how, when, and where puzzles began! Thanks for this - really enjoyed it. :D

Anonymous said...

We were so compressed at times in out tiny cottage that we would take turns to move - we called it living in a slide puzzle.

Gretchen said...

What a great puzzle slide show!

Bear Naked said...

I never realized that jigsaw puzzles were over 250 years old.
Educational information again on ABC Wednesday.

Bear((( )))

marLou said...

Very inventive!

Jane Hards Photography said...

Jigsaws are something I remember fondly from childhood, and when bed ridden with the dreaded flu, a jigsaw and a hot toddy come with me. Lovely and informatve post.

photowannabe said...

Very interesting information which I didn't know until now. My Hubby is a whiz at jigsaw puzzles. I like them but am not to good at them. Love the puzzle slideshow. That's fascinating.

Gigi Ann said...

Very informative post today. I am the worst when it comes to jigsaw puzzles. But, my children and their friends loved to put them together on snowy cold winter days.

Gordon said...

I haven't done a jigsaw puzzle for while now; but do enjoy the challenge from time to time.

Liz Hinds said...

I love doing jigsaws though I haven't done one for a long time - blogging has taken over my life!

Lovely photos and interesting post.

naturglede/Randi Lind said...

Greate choise for the P. Have a nice day:)

Jay said...

I love puzzles, whether jigsaw, word, three-dimensional or logic! Love the little bit of history, too!

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

Great puzzle! And oh, my gosh...the name of my dedicated photoblog is This Too Shall Pass! How funny is that? http://thistooshallpass.aminus3.com/

My dad used to say that to me when I was growing up.

http://nineacresphotoclasses.blogspot.com

Suburbia said...

I hadn't thought of P for puzzle!

Aisha said...

That is awesome to know how jigsaw puzzles were first created. I love jigsaw puzzles a lot and that photo with the man your daughter sent would be a challenging one. I like it!

Dragonstar said...

I love the way you show the pictures as a slide-puzzle.
I've always enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, slide puzzles, and things of that kind.
Thank you so much for your visit earlier.

abb said...

That is such a neat thing, your moving puzzle! What a perfect ABC Wed. post.

Rambling Woods said...

Now this is a very clever post for the letter P...

Suzanne said...

So very cool!

Janice Thomson said...

Great info about puzzles Wil - like the ones you made. I remember as a child playing with these a lot.

Miss_Yves said...

Amazing pictures and interesting post!
A fascinating painting !
Les ponts se trouvent à Saint-lô, petite ville de la Manche où je travaille ( Dans l'ouest de la France, en Normandie)
miss Yves

Raquel Sabino Pereira said...

An awsome ship!!!!!!!
THANK YOU!!!!

Unknown said...

OH! I LOVE this idea! What a great P for ABC Wednesday! You are brilliant : )!

VP said...

What a Perfect use for Slide images! I love puzzles too :)

Have a great weekend!