Pieces and Goodwill

Chances are that there will be one at or near the top of the list for Christmas- a jigsaw puzzle.

I was reminded about these perplexing things when I almost walked over one laid out on the floor of a house this week.

Imagine what will have transpired in that home later that day when the owners will have discovered that a crime had been committed. Fortunately, I just managed to sidestep and avoid a potentially major incident although it did cross my mind, only briefly, that it would be very mischievous to pocket and remove a single piece.

Don't get me wrong.A valued part of my upbringing and personal development is attributable to doing jigsaws.

For all of their frustrating traits they are actually quite therapeutic. The human brain hates chaos and anything jumbled up and so an opportunity to return something haphazard to a state of perfect order produces a sensation of genuine joy and peace.

The practice of jigsawing, if indeed that is an actual word, is often part of our upbringing.

We are taught how to pick out corners, edges, obvious colours and features at an early age.

My first childhood jigsaw was just nine large pieces but its successful assembly, eventually, was a source of regular pride and achievement.

Gradually the number of pieces and level of difficulty was increased until the prospect, in later mature life, of a 1000-piece challenge did not seem too daunting.

It is an enjoyable thing putting together a myriad of coloured bits. Time flies when you are absorbed in picking out similar shapes and shades. It is for some a pastime, others a bit more of a hobby and for a few it is an obsession.

The first examples appeared in the mid 18th Century.

They were targeted at children as an educational tool and comprised hand made maps cut up into pieces for re-assembly. The first commercial production began in the 1760's and a London based company, J Spilsbury brought out, in 1766 ,a puzzle entitled "Europe Divided". This will have helped young minds to visualise the complex geographical, physical and political situation across the continent in such volatile times. Prussia and Russia will have been shown as two distinct nations rather than being confused as one and the same which was a common misconception, even amongst those in the diplomacy and military who should have known better.

One depiction of Europe in jigsaw format is reputed to have started a war as incorrectly or not the Ottoman Empire was portrayed as having a larger landed area than it actually had which provoked a reaction from opposing governments.

Children remained as the target market for this type of puzzle as a means to develop their concentration, powers of logic and deduction and neurological development. A much more serious application of the jigsaw was introduced at Ellis Island in New York when a simple task of assembly was adopted by the Immigration Authorities to determine if new arrivals were of suitable mental competence to be given entry to the United States.

In the early years of the 20th century a hobbyist craze evolved with individuals making their own jigsaws using a fret saw but mass production put an end to the fever like activity in sheds and parlours.

The golden age of the jigsaw was during the Great Depression in the United States when an amazing 10 million puzzles were consumed by households every single week. These came out on a weekly basis through the nation's news stands at twenty five cents a piece creating mass hysteria.

Today, to some extent the pursuit of jigsawing has attained an almost secretive and guilty pleasure status. We may be a bit embarrassed about mentioning it in polite company and yet sales and development continue at a strong pace. The old sawdust speckled atmosphere of the traditional manufacturers has given way to a more clinical laser cut product. This gives more scope for trickery and foolery in the cutting of the pieces with, for example, straight edges to be found in the middle of a puzzle causing many to question those hard earned lessons from parents about finding those key pieces.

Buying a jigsaw as a shared family Christmas present has been mentioned this year. I will keep you informed about what happens in due course.

Inspired by BBC4 extra feature