Paper Engineering: A Very Old Art-Form
A paper engineer is an artist who creates pop-ups using paper as his or her primary medium. The term "pop-up" is a catch-all phrase for all moveable and dimensional art. As David Cater and James Diaz explain in their book The Elements of Pop-Up (Little Simon,1999): "The force at the center of all pop-ups is kinetic energy. Kinetic energy in a pop-up is created by opening a page, pulling a tab, or turning a wheel."
The oldest pop-ups, dating back to the 1200s, were not intended for children. During the thirteenth century, Spanish mystic and poet Ramon Llull used volvelles- layered circles of paper-to illustrate astrological projections and mathematical formulae. In parts of Medieval Europe, dissecting the human body was considered blasphemous, so medical texts were illustrated with moveable parts and flaps that lifted to reveal the inner workings of the body.
The hey-day of paper engineering was the nineteenth century, when the growth of the middle class led to new indulgences for children. Pop-up books became status symbols for well-to-do families. During the 1860's, London Publisher Dean & Son, began to produce "moveable books with Venetian blind, sliding, revolving, and slat devices," according to Martha Carothers, Chair of The University of Delaware's Department of Art. Due to the success of these books, other European and American publishers began producing pop-ups. This era gave rise to the brilliant and funny pop-ups of Lothar Meggendorfer, who is widely considered to be the most innovative paper engineer of all time. When World War I forced European publishers to curtail publishing, the popularity of pop-ups ended and moveable books fell out of fashion for decades.
"What we are experiencing now is the second Golden Age of Pop-Up," says Dr. James Sinsky, who has organized the University of Arizona's Annual Pop-Up show for many years. This renaissance began in the 1970's when advertising entrepreneur Waldo Hunt, of California's Intervisual Books, joined forces with paper engineer Ib Penick, to revive the art of three-dimensional storytelling. Pop-up books became popular among families with young children as an interactive way to get kids interested in books. During the last three decades, pop-up books have been gaining momentum and resurfacing as a commercial and collectible art form.
Source Notes: The majority of this information was adapted from a pamphlet called The History of Pop-Up Books, written by Martha Carothers, Chair of the University of Delaware's Art Department, to be published by Brooklyn Public Library in September, 2000 in conjunction with the exhibition Brooklyn Pops Up! The History and Art of The Moveable Book.
Learn More!
Read Children's Literature's interview with Robert Sabuda
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The Elements of Pop-Up: A Pop-Up Book for Aspiring Paper Engineers
Written and illus. by David A. Carter and James Diaz
This is the definitive reference book for the aspiring paper engineer. The lifeblood of pop-ups is kinetic energy, or the energy resulting from motion. When a card or book is opened, wonderful things happen as a result of that energy. This is the ultimate collection of folds put together for the purpose of learning how to create pop-ups. The only true pop-up art included with the book is on the first page. A very complex white scary monster jumps out to greet you as you read the introduction, a brief history and the glossary of terms. What follows are fourteen pages of samples of a variety of folds and the resulting effects when used in a pop-up environment and then the final two pages contain general instructions about how pop-ups are made. This is a must have for any with serious interest in this art form. 1999, Little Simon, $35.00. Ages 10 to Adult. Reviewer: Kristin Harris
ISBN: 0-689-82224-3
Best Books:
Not Just for Children Any More, 2000 ; Children's Book Council; United States
Notable Books for Children, 2000 ; American Library Association-ALSC; United States
State Reading Lists:
Volunteer State Book Award, 2001-2002 ; Tennessee
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