About

Pop-up and movable books have been delighting and engaging readers and non-readers,young and old alike, for nearly 800 years. Using inventive ways to fold paper and create movement,pop-up artists and paper engineers transform the printed page from two-dimensionalforms to three-dimensional experiences.

Movables have mechanisms such as flaps, pull tabs, and wheels (volvelles) that cause movement on the page surface. Pop-ups employ various folding devices that cause fi gures to lift , pop up,rise and unfold, or unfold and extend when a page is opened. Despite changes in technologies,materials, and mechanisms, contemporary books, like their predecessors, are still assembled by hand and share some of the same construction principles. And although we may associate pop-ups and movable books with children, adults were the original audience for what was anything but child’s play.

Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn presents more than 50 examples of action-packed constructions and inspired works of art spanning 500 years. We hope exhibiti on visitors will experience these rarely seen treasures as their creators intended—as remarkable works that calculate, educate, entertain, and amaze.

For more about pop-ups and movable books download the exhibition brochure (pdf ~2MB)