The very first jigsaw puzzle is said to have been made by London mapmaker John Spilsbury in the 1760s.

Where did jigsaw puzzles originate?

The origins of jigsaw puzzles go back to the 1760s when European mapmakers pasted maps onto wood and cut them into small pieces. John Spilsbury, an engraver and mapmaker, is credited with inventing the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767. The dissected map has been a successful educational toy ever since.

What were the first jigsaw puzzles made of?

Jigsaw puzzles were generally still made of wood right up until the outbreak of war in 1939. It was around the start of WW2, with plywood being in very short supply, did jigsaw puzzles start to be made out of cardboard. However initially the cardboard used was of very poor quality.