Pop-up book

Featuring a title from the Libraries' pop-up book collection and current exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn.

In the 1950s-1960s, Vojtěch Kubašta, an Austrian-born paper engineer and illustrator working in Czechoslovakia, created a series of pop-up adventure and fantasy stories combining bold folk art style imagery, distinctive colors, and innovative cut and folded paper styles. Some of his large-scale constructions of this period include Marco Polo (1962), The tournament (1950s), and Ricky the Rabbit (1961).

Featuring a title from the Libraries' pop-up book collection and current exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn.

The Libraries presents the second lecture in a new series that explores the history, artistry, design and construction of pop-up and movable books. Chuck Fischer: "Creating a Pop-Up Book and The Enduring Appeal Of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol"

Featuring a title from the Libraries' pop-up book collection and current exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn.

Featuring a title from the Libraries' pop-up book collection and current exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn.

Featuring a title from the Libraries' pop-up book collection and current exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn.

In conjunction with our ongoing exhibition in the National Museum of American History, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn, the Libraries is hosting a series of pop-up and movable books lectures. People of all ages are welcome to attend.

Featuring a title from the Libraries' pop-up book collection and current exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn.

Ron van der Meer, a Dutch paper engineer living England, studied graphic design before exploring the world of pop-up books. Van der Meer, having created more than 100 pop-ups, first worked with Wally Hunt at Intervisual Communications in California to create his first pop-ups in the early 1980s.

Featuring a title from the Libraries' pop-up book collection and current exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn.

Movable, pop-up, folding, and multiple-construction books from the year 1570 to the present day comprise this Smithsonian Institution Libraries’ exhibition highlighting innovative book design,which is on display in the Smithsonian Libraries Exhibition Gallery, National Museum of American History, First floor west, through September 1, 2011.

Check out this wonderful video, The making of a pop-up book.

Book artist Chuck Fischer and paper engineer Bruce Foster explain how the pop-up book Angels was created in a fascinating behind-the scenes peek.

The video is a great companion piece to the Libraries' exciting new exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn, which is on display in the Libraries exhibition gallery in the National Museum of American History through September 2011.

Enjoy!

The fascinating art of paper engineering is the focus of a new exhibit that is on display in the Libraries’ gallery at the National Museum of American History. Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop, and Turnincludes 44 books that range in date from the mid-16th to the early 21st centuries, creating a fascinating retrospective of volumes, which were designed and constructed with parts that move.

Have you seen it yet? 

News of the recent opening of the Libraries' new exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn is being featured across the web. 

Come down and check out the vast array of pop-up books, ranging from as far back as the 15th century to today. 

If you can't make it to D.C. just yet, this blog should whet your appetite . . .

—Elizabeth Periale

During the run of the exhibition, Paper Engineering, Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn, the Libraries will be cross-posting on this and the Smithsonian Libraries blogs . . .

Matthew Reinhart, featured in the Libraries exhibition, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn, in this video previews his recent collaboration with Robert Sabuda, Gods and Heroes. The Libraries has many of Reinhart's books in its collections, including:

During the run of the exhibition, Paper Engineering, Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn, the Libraries will be cross-posting on this and the Smithsonian Librariesblogs . . .

Tunnel books or peep shows are a series of cut-paper panels placed one behind the other, creating the illusion of depth and perspective. Often, these are engineered like an accordion, with the two boards pulling apart and the illustrated panels lined up and viewed through a front peep-hole or viewer.

A recent purchase by the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum Library is an 18th century tunnel book attributed to the engraver and print-seller Martin Engelbrecht (1684-1756) of Augsburg, Germany.