Those Puzzling PuzzlesDid you know that today's jigsaw puzzle actually started as a "dissected map" back in the 1760s? Map makers glued maps to wood and then cut them into pieces, creating a very successful educational toy that is still used to this day. But puzzling is also an adult pastime, which seems to have put down its strongest American roots during the Great Depression. According to puzzle historian Anne D. Williams, puzzles offered not only an escape, but a chance to achieve a sense of accomplishment, "an opportunity to succeed in a modest way."1 They were inexpensive and easy to get, which made puzzles great gifts for people who wanted to occupy themselves at home instead of going out to restaurants and nightclubs. Since a lot of us are doing that these days, I thought I'd piece together a blog about my favorite jigsaws. The "dissected map" is still a fun teaching tool. Like these two puzzles, for example. The USA License Plate Map takes me back to  family road trips where we'd try to spot out-of-state license plates when we were in Florida--or Florida plates when we were in another state. The U.S. Facts Map not only teaches geography and state capitols, but adds a little bit of fun. Piece together landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Route 66, icons like Uncle Sam and the Bald Eagle, plus some of America's favorite foods from hamburgers to pizza to apple pie. Also from the Americana category are these two icons: the Junk Food Puzzle and the Fast Lane Puzzle.  Look closely--the junk food sandwich is made of pizza, french fries, cheese curls, chocolate bars and something green that must have slipped in by mistake. At least it doesn't have any calories! Now take a closer look at the motorcycle. You'll see glimpses of life in the fast lane, like a roadside diner, a horse running free, a couple riding a motorcycle into the sunset and solo riders who make the highways their home. Puzzles have also been used to celebrate and advertise everything from toothbrushes and soap to movies and celebrities.  My new favorite in this category is the Wicked Puzzle Poster for the new Broadway play, Wicked. The show tells the "untold story of the witches of Oz" and I can't wait to see it when it comes to our neck of the woods. Don't let the picture fool you--it's not an easy puzzle. The difficulty level is 3, which is wicked hard! This Elvis puzzle shows The King in his custom-made gold lamé suit on a swirling background of musical notes and abstract colors and lines. Even with only 500 pieces, this one is harder than might seem, too. Sized for hanging, the panoramic puzzle is a keepsake that will occupy the puzzler for hours. This collapsible puzzle roll-up lets you take your puzzle from room to room or store it when you need some extra table space.  You just work your puzzle on the felt pad, then roll it around the tube and put it away until you want to work on it again. Plus, the tube folds flat for easy storage in between puzzles. With a Puzzle Presto preserver and hanger kit, any puzzle can be held together for hanging in a place of honor after it's completed. The desire to hold the pieces together permanently marks yet another step in the puzzle's evolution: the modern jigsaw is both a pastime and a keepsake. So it's two gifts in one!Your "Puzzle Piecing" Gift Guru, Linda 1. Jigsaw Puzzles, An Illustrated History and Price Guide, (1990) Posted by Linda at
5:00 AM | Friday, July 17, 2009
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