Jigsaw puzzles were first known as dissected maps: John Spilsbury, a London mapmaker and engraver is largely credited with inventing the jigsaw puzzle in 1766. But, it was the 1930s that brought jigsaw puzzles to the masses through the golden age of jigsaw puzzles. The Great Depression left people searching for affordable forms of entertainment, and wooden jigsaw puzzles provided just that. This led to a worldwide jigsaw puzzle craze; it’s estimated that 30 million households in the U.S. were absorbing 10 million jigsaw puzzles a week. Jigsaw puzzles during this time were still made of wood and hand-cut using a scroll saw, but numerous companies sprang up to meet the new demand, eventually leading to the advent of even cheaper, easier-to-produce, die-cut puzzles. By the early 1940s, die-cut puzzles overwhelmed the market, leaving wooden jigsaw puzzles to become heirlooms of the original artform. Jigsaw puzzle collectors prize the classic wooden jigsaw puzzles that started this craze for their intricacy, craftsmanship, and the “heft” of the pieces. For the serious puzzler, there is nothing quite as satisfying as plunking a wooden piece into place.