Historic Cinderella pop-up book
Cinderella pop-up, 1850's
History of Pop-Up and Movable Books

This slide show traces the development of movable page formats from early Renaissance examples to present-day pop-ups and sculptural artist's books. Volvelles, lift-up flap mechanisms, metamorphosis and mechanical books, tunnel books and carousel books all will be shown. The show traces the growth of children's pop-up books from their origins in the early Victorian era to present, along with current developments in commercial and artist-made dimensional books. Die-cutting, laser cutting, and hand-assembly production processes will be discussed. Enjoy this wonderful tour of a magical pop-up world!






Paul Johnson artist's book
Pop-up by Paul Johnson
Artists' Books: A Wealth of Approaches

This survey of the various approaches artists are using to create books and book sculptures, including letterpress and offset editions, one-of-a-kind works, and sculptural and mixed-media formats. Discussions of how form, media, and text combine in the book to create layers of meaning which are both complex and surprising.






NY World's Fair tunnel book
New York world's fair tunnel

Tunnel Books, Historical and Contemporary

A “tunnel” or “peepshow” book is a set of pages bound with accordions on two sides and viewed through a central opening. This unusual book form dates from the mid-eighteenth century and was inspired by theatrical stage sets. Historical tunnel books will be shown along with a body of contemporary images by artists who have adapted this format for their own thematic purposes. See examples



Louise Parms' carousel book
Carousel by Louise Parms

Carousel Books

A “carousel” or “star” book consists of several accordion-fold sheets bound together to create dimensional stage-like pages. A wide range of contemporary artists’ carousel books will be shown, illustrating a variety of structural and thematic variations on this format. See examples




Jane Merks bk Embellish
Fabric book by Jane Merks
The Fabric of Artist’s Books

Books have been linked to the fabric arts from their very beginnings. Among the first materials used to create early scrolls were papyrus in Egypt and silk in China. Today, book artists are incorporating new fabrics into their work, or using historic materials in surprising new ways. Lots of examples and approaches will be presented.





Each slide lecture lasts from 40-50 minutes and can be followed by a period for group discussion.

To arrange a lecture for your organization, contact Carol by email or by phone at 301-229-2213. Check the class calendar for possible dates.




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