Puzzle set:"As You Like It" Blocks

The mass production of the jigsaw puzzle occurred shortly after the invention of the jigsaw itself: English puzzles--mostly of maps--first appeared in the middle of 18th century. American puzzles appeared around 1850, and, like their English cousins, they featured too maps cut from wood. After the American Civil War ended in 1865, game manufacturers like Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers also offered puzzles that combined educational value with entertainment. In 1908 Parker Brothers introduced its Pastime Puzzles featuring pieces shaped like animals, letters, and geometric figures. These easier puzzles became increasingly popular, and by the 1930s, low-cost, die-cut puzzles of cardboard created entertainment cheap enough for most Americans, even those hit by the Great Depression. Several companies offered weekly jigsaw puzzles, and publishers distributed magazines devoted soley to the pastime. The puzzle craze faded in the 1950s, but assembling--and reassembling--a simple puzzle remains still part of every toddler's play routine.