Exploring the Hidden World of Meggendorfer’s Movable Books

Description:

This project enhances the Libraries’ Special Collections by acquiring numerous early editions of books by Lothar Meggendorfer featuring paper animation through complex movable paper mechanisms. Meggendorfer, a 19th-century German illustrator, was celebrated for his innovative paper animation techniques, in which moving a single pull tab could produce multiple movements on a page.

The acquisitions will complement the Libraries’ holdings of movable books, including four early editions of Meggendorfer’s books (in German, English and French), and a collection of some large specimen sheets from Meggendorfer’s publisher.

Paper animation at this extremely high technical level has an enduring fascination for scholarly and casual audiences as well as collectors, especially in a screen-driven age. An extensive collection of his paper animation books will inform the work of book arts students and professional book artists as well as researchers investigating the history of movable books and children’s books, 19th-century publishing, cross-national marketing, the intersection of industrial and artisanal practice, and material culture in domestic settings.

Meggendorfer’s books speak to what constituted acceptable entertainment in the 19th century although 21st-century readers might find some of his racist and sexist tropes problematic. The library resources we propose to acquire will also serve as a catalyst for contemporary dialogues on representation, cultural sensitivity and the evolving nature of artistic expression.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:

Julie Chen, Professor of Art

CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:

Robin Rider, Curator of Special Collections