I got lost in puzzles, and I couldn’t get out!
However, unlike most normal people, I didn’t get lost in doing jigsaw puzzles.
Nope. Leave it to me. I managed to get lost in finding out about them.
The journey began when I saw this video about a color-changing jigsaw puzzle from the MoMA Design Store. The pieces change color according to the angle from which they’re viewed.
MoMA Design Store (YouTube Channel)
MoMA Design Store (Official Website)
Geeezzz! Who thought of that? It looks mind-bendingly hard, but still neat!
Then this time-lapse video posted by Andre F caught my eye.
Again, neat! The description of the video said that the puzzle was called Around the World.
I did a Google search and, Voilà!, I found it …
Around the World – 42000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle for $559.99 (Puzzle Warehouse)
… but, I had also fallen deeper down the rabbit hole that is Jigsaw Puzzledom.
I couldn’t help noticing that my search for Around the World Jigsaw Puzzle also brought up a video about a different puzzle from Ravensburger entitled Disney Moments. Here’s a mini-documentary about their 40,320 piece monster.
Ravensburger UK (YouTube Channel)
avensburger UK (Official Website)
You may have noticed that the video covered just about everything that most normal people would ever want to know about how puzzles are made. However, if you want to know more, then here’s a recent article from the New York Times that I stumbled upon.
Here’s How Those Hot Jigsaw Puzzles Are Made (Amie Tsang, The New York Times)
Then I got curioius and did some fact checing. Guess what?
The Guinness World Records website says that the jigsaw puzzle with the “mostest” actually had a whopping 551,232 pieces, and it was completed by 1,600 students of the University of Economics in Vietnam.
Nice trivia.
In addition, the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of jigsaw puzzles is held by Luiza Figueiredo in São Paulo, Brazil. This 360° video shows a quick glimpse of her epic collection of 1,047 puzzles.
Okay, as you can tell, I was way into Jigsaw Puzzle Land at this point.
Heck, while I was there, I decided that I might as well wander around and explore a bit more.
For example, YouTube kept suggesting that I watch a video about the history of jigsaw puzzles.
Piecing together the history of jigsaw puzzles (CBS Sunday Morning, YouTube)
If you would like to learn more about the history of jigsaw puzzles, then you might also be able to get your hands on the book The jigsaw puzzle: piecing together a history by Anne Williams (the historian featured in the CBS Sunday Morning clip above).
Also, did you know that you can order personalized puzzles from Shutterfly, Portrait Puzzles and Create Jigsaws?
Finally, if you’re still reading this post, let alone doing any of that stuff, then you’ve fallen deep into Jigsaw Puzzledom, too.
If that’s the case, then you should know that you’re in good company. Here’s an article that explains that you belong to a club that includes the likes of Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Bill Gates and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones!
The Rich and Famous Who Love the Humble Jigsaw Puzzle (Wentworth Wooden Puzzles)
Fun stuff!
Alas, no matter how great the company, I had to finally drag myself out of Jigsaw Puzzle Land to share this with you, and then get back to work on what I should be doing (i.e. a much needed overhaul of this Cosma web site).
I will leave off here, but if you continue exploring Jigsaw Puzzledom on your own, then there’s a few things you should know.
First, be careful about calling yourself by a term like “Puzzler.” It’s colloquial. The correct, technical term to use is Dissectologist.
Second, you may want to join a club called the Benevolent Confraternity of Dissectologists. If you’re into jigsaw puzzles, seriously, check that out!
On the other hand, if this post has just gotten you in the mood to work a jigsaw puzzle, right here and now, then you will probably enjoy the online puzzles at Jigsaw Explorer!
Enjoy some for me! 🙂