The City of Brotherly [and Sisterly] Love
[cont’d]
[Look for the asterisk * for additional links to videos and websites at the end of this article.]
I put down my Magic Pen to ready myself for the evening. It was a rejuvenating [transitive verb-“to make somebody young again”] experience to have dinner with the Up With Paper crew and Shelby and Simon of Sabuda’s studio. We walked the narrow streets—one being the world’s only street paved with wooden blocks!—and experience Old Philadelphia. Many of the taverns were filled with boisterous college students. I felt like Benjamina Franklin, matriarch. But how refreshing to talk pop-ups and learn more about these exuberant and interesting people. Who knew Shelby was home-schooled
Returning to the Juniper Room after dinner—I never give up!—Rob Kelly was completing his show-and-tell. There was just a glimpse of his revolving disk with construction elements Andy and Larry had never seen! I begged him to ‘bring it on’ tomorrow. Although Rob left, the table was still filled with Uncle Larry, Princess Dorothy, Sally, Roz, Renee, Isabel, Yevgeniya, and others. Bone-tired, I had to sit down. Right? With a new crop of peepers, Uncle Larry dug into his cavernous pockets—or maybe it was a shoebox—and dazzled all with his unique movable ephemera. It’s worth the trip to the conference just to see what Larry shares with us. So come!!!
SATURDAY
To satisfy the IRS’ requirement of a business meeting, Ann started our last full day with a financial accounting. Copies were distributed. She told us the Smithsonian Library is digitizing our Movable Stationerynewsletters one year after each is in print. The Library already offers digital copies from Sept. 1993 to November 2011.
What a resource! Our tax dollars actually work! Thank you, Founding Fathers.
Ann encouraged us to ‘Like’ the MBS Facebook page and post events that are too late to get into the most recent newsletter. Let’s make our Community more communicative! And, as always, please write for the newsletter—and be a part of the Smithsonian Library archive.
Our only daytime lecturer is Richard Balzer who admits that, although his collection is about movement, as far as movable books are concerned, “I know almost nothing.” Dick collects magic lantern slides and their projectors including the artwork depicting this 17th-19th century pastime. Peepshows are also a specialty. But he was not going to talk about that collection today. Richard accepted Larry Seidman’s request to speak to us about historical objects that simulated pictorial movement and pre-date movies. He guaranteed we would ooh! and ahh! And we did. http://www.dickbalzer.com/
With wonderful moving images, Richard took us along the timeline of peepshows, static but three-dimensional illustrations, to phantasmagoria, shadow books, Ombres Chinoises Animées and thaumatropes, to name a few. The perception of movement attained by these devices relied up the brain’s persistence of vision, which created the illusion of movement where there was none. Improvements included going from a device which only one person can view, like the phenakistocope using a mirror, to another where several people could see it, like a zoetrope (1834). Many of these devices, especially in the 19th century, were of educational and scientific benefit and were presented in decorated boxes. My reporting of Dick’s presentation is woefully inadequate as the movement is what is key. But, with modern technology, the old technology is brought to life on dickbalzer.tumblr.com/
Despite a full page of instructions and color-coded little tags in our ID packets dividing us into 3 groups, Shawn’s meticulous arrangements for our visit to the Univ. of Penn. Library was changed. But Shawn’s a plucky guy and reorganized us ably. A short bus ride to the Library deposited us on the beautiful modern campus. Having been appointed Team Leader of my group, D, I raised a “D” sign and gathered the flock. The library’s Kislak Center had several exhibits for us to see. The first we inspected was As The Ink Flows, an exploration of the youth, life, and work of William Steig, who created the ogre, Shrek. Exciting for me was to learn that Steig was my landsman—in Yiddish, someone who comes from your town. Well, Steig grew up like me in the Bronx (although he was born in Brooklyn) and also attended CCNY. I felt a connection.
Another exhibit was devoted to the life and work of book designer Atha Tehon. The material served to highlight her 32-year publishing career especially as art director at Dial Books for Young Readers.
But the highlight of our visit was to the Rare Book Room where librarians had displayed movable books for our delectation. From Apianus’ Cosmographia (1544) to Werner Pfeiffer’s The State of the Union (Pear Whistle Press, 2012), an artist book, looking like a flag but comprised of separate elements. While collectors checked off the books they have, (OK! I’m guilty!), we all salivated over the ones we’ve never seen. The librarians were happy to demonstrate the books on request. Emily Martin beamed as we checked out her books in the Library’s collection.
Our last visit was to the University of the Arts on Broad Street. I never got to see the intended exhibit because I left my Magic Pen’s notebook at the Library, probably among the rare books. Poor Shawn! I begged him to help but he was ‘herding cats’ trying to get everyone where they were supposed to go. Our brown bag lunches, distributed at the Library, could be eaten in various local places and people had scattered. Of course, he did connect with the Library who had already sent someone to UArts with my notebook. “Hara-Kiri” averted.
On a top floor, we were shown how a pop-up card, designed by Sam Ita, was printed on a letterpress machine. We picked up our cards and proceeded to the workroom. A large table was laid out with X-Acto knives, scissors, glue sticks, and cutting mats. A group was already in progress. Helpers, like Sam and Kang Peng, floated around the room to guide us and prevent total meltdowns. It was another humbling experience. Cut here. Glue there. Fold here. Voila! (Yeah, right!) But the resulting card was really beautiful. The word, “LOVE” popped out resembling the red iconic sculpture by Robert Indiana situated at the U of P. The Philadelphia skyline and the Liberty Bell provided additional decoration. Well done, Sam! The card will be another souvenir of the conference.
In between printing and gluing, I took the time to examine the eight books up for the Meggendorfer Artist Book Prize. I do not envy Kyle and Emily, the judges. The books were top-shelf, intricate, and polished.
The next few hours are a kind of blur. I had decided that because I was driving to Philadelphia and had never done it before, I would participate in the Book Sale. Schlep. Schlep. Schlep. (C’mon. If I didn’t whine in this article, you would never know it was me who wrote it.) I did sincerely want to share not only my surfeit of goods with members but also show some paper engineers unusual mechanisms. I didn’t get to shop much and see what others had brought, but business looked brisk. Still I could feel the camaraderie and learn the special interests of members. Generously, Up With Paper donated the proceeds from their sales to the Movable Book Society.
With only one-half hour to go, I had to turn from bookseller to gal-about-town and prepare for the banquet. Feet up. Deep breathing. Metamorphosis. I’m ready!!!
Our final moments are here. At the cocktail hour, I saw Rob Kelly coming off the elevator. Whoa!!! Go back upstairs, Rob. You haven’t brought your show-and-tell. I will not be denied.
I was seated next to Gabriela Romagna, an Emerging Artist recipient, visiting the USA for the first time. Her peripatetic life has taken her to several European cities. The paper engineering she showed me is very intricate and refined, almost like the paper cutting of Béatrice Coron. Her exuberant youth made her a perfect tablemate. http://gabrielaromagna.com/
Before our keynote speaker was introduced, we were told that the Silent Auction had netted $3000. Well done, MBS! A Win-Win for all. Thank you, Frank, for all your efforts to make the auction such a success. And thanks too to Frank’s elfin-helpers and Up With Paper who provided a pop-up greeting card for each of us at our tables.
Shawn went over the criteria for the Emerging Artist scholarship:
The recipient must be a regular student
The pop-ups and movables must be made during school.
Submissions should be a short paragraph describing the paper engineer’s work and the need for the scholarship.
The scholarship winners will receive a stipend to attend a conference and a year’s subscription to Movable Stationery. The recipients this year were Andrew Binder, Gabriela Romagna, and Kimberly Maher, who spoke to us about her work. A student at the University of Iowa, Kimberly has taken Emily Martin’s and Shawn’s workshops several times. Her work with pop-ups reinforces her belief that “active engagement rewards the reader.” She discussed the making of Two Lives, which was a candidate for the Meggendorfer Artist Book Prize. A la Robin’s talk, Two Lives uses strings and knots. http://www.kimmaher.com/
England’s Paul Johnson provided the keynote address to end our conference. Paul’s delivery was energetic and witty. His ease with describing his work is readily explained by his having taught over 200,00 children and 25,000 teachers in workshops around the world!
Paul’s brightly colored books, displayed along side him, were the only static objects as Paul took the microphone in hand and charged around the room. He was born during World War II. His father, a factory worker, was also an artist who sketched daily. Paul has done the same but didn’t discover paper as a medium until the 1980s. His first paper constructs were of furniture.
The semi-rhetorical question Paul repeated throughout his talk was “Where do these ideas come from?” We had to ask ourselves that question as he paraded his books up and down the center aisle between our tables. We gasped as Paul presented Old Mother Hubbard at the Zoo. The story morphs from one imaginative and fantastic tale to another. Pulling on a paper clasp, the book’s “wings” dropped open and a “tail” emerges creating a veritable airplane! Now the five carousel spreads could be opened. Paul credits much of his imagination from working with children. “I learn so much [from them.] They invent so much.”
It wasn’t until two years ago that Paul began making these carousel structures. In the 1990s, he made hundreds of small books, really paper sculptures, which “sold extremely well in the USA” But 1 in 3 would be damaged as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean. He came to “pop-up engineering by default and not design” as a way to repair his work. Using his hand-made paper—bright, primary-colored affairs—he was able to readily replace the damaged book parts. He employs dovetail joints with tab slots much like Vojtěch Kubašta. There are no folds in his pop-ups, and piano hinges are the bindings, allowing the spreads to open 360°. His average book takes about one month to make and has 200 pieces. He keeps himself trim—and happily married—by swimming ½ mile each day and never works after 7PM so that he can share dinner with his wife.
Paul demonstrated dynamic carousel structures one after the other narrating these unique stories, many featuring Old Mother Hubbard who “always has a dog.” In one book, Old Mother Hubbard in New York, the grand dame “creates havoc.” The spine of the book is the Brooklyn Bridge. Another book, set in San Francisco, she becomes a pole dancer in a mini skirt. (He did NOT get that idea from a child!) In Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack finds Sleeping Beauty in the castle and brings her back to his house. Female fairy tale characters fill the home, so he joins the Navy, lives on a submarine, and then all the female characters become mermaids. The stories he narrates have a dream-like quality. To repeat his question, “Where do these ideas come from?”
We were totally mesmerized by Paul’s books and his punctuated delivery. Paul began coming to the US almost 20 years ago to give a workshop at the invitation of the beloved Ed Hutchins, Paul’s “best friend.” We can thank Ed and then the Movable Book Society for bringing Paul to us to share his utterly colorful and imaginative books. *
Paul is a tough act to follow but we had more business to do. Shawn wound down the conference with heart-felt thanks for Colette Fu, “who did so much work behind the curtains”, Leo, the patient technician who made all our PowerPoint presentations run smoothly, and of course, Ann Montanaro, our Mover and Shaker, without whom none of this weekend would have occurred.
Shawn outlined the criteria for the Meggendorfer Artist Book Prize, which was
1. Include at least one pop-up or movable structure in the book
2. Be over 21 years old
3. Work in paper engineering for 3 years
Emily and Kyle were the judges who cursed their fate at having to make this decision. Shawn interrupted saying, “no eight-way ties allowed!” Without a drumroll, Emily opened an envelope, a la The Oscars. “And the winner is….Dorothy Yule’s Memories of Science. In addition to the trophy, Dorothy was given a copy of our 10th anniversary book, Celebrat10n. We were not to hear much more than a “Thank you so much” from Dorothy as she was very emotional with the honor and could barely hold back tears. *
The final formal end of the conference is the presentation of the Meggendorfer Prize for 2014. I took my place behind the table with Paul Johnson’s book structures laid out in a row. “What did Paul’s books have in common with our Meggendorfer Prize winner?” I asked. Like Paul’s Old Mother Hubbard at the Zoo, the Prizewinner’s book involves transformations. And the winner is….Matthew Reinhart’s Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-up Universe!!!!* Alas, Matthew was not in attendance. Next conference, Matthew?
Yes, our shoes pinch and we’re tired from such a full day but do we leave the room? NO!!! More Show-and-Tell! Kevin Steele brought his navigation book, which had been submitted for the Meggendorfer Artist Book Prize. It was so huge, we hadn’t seen it open at the UArt. Here he was able to fully extend it almost to the size of the dinner table. The Deep appears like a compass with segments opening to individual books. It is a tribute to maritime folklore. Kevin had won Best In Show: Unique Book at our Portland, OR conference for his The Movable Book of Letterforms. * Let’s keep an eye out for his future books.http://mrkevinsteele.com/
I call Rob Kelly the new “Wunderkind.” He is now ready to open his attaché case of wonders, the ones I missed on Friday night. Andy Baron, who has aged out of the title, is there too to point out the uniqueness of several of Rob’s pop-ups. Rob has worked for over 10 years for Structural Graphics who own many of his patented mechanisms. I especially wanted to see the revolving disc. Uncle Larry encouraged Rob to get a patent on this totally new mechanism. Rob modestly said, “It was so hard to make.”
He manipulated ads produced for the company but the ones that Wowed! me the most, were movable cards produced for his Christmas list. My favorite was a “grabber machine” like the ones at store entryways where, after feeding money into the machine, you try to grab a cheap prize with pincers. In Rob’s movable, his baby son was the pincer trying to grab a toy. Also quite special was a pinball machine made of a single piece of paper. Andy noted the detail of having the ball plunger sticking out from the machine. Of course, you already know I’m shameless when it comes to pop-ups. I begged—and several others did too—to be put on Rob’s Christmas list, which is limited to 100 people. At some time someone has to die or fall out of favor! Don’t they? Rob’s wife is the keeper of the list and only she decides who’s on it. Drats!!! But I did notice a duplicate of the pinball machine. Hmm? http://robkellydesign.com
There were several other goodies to be had at the conference. A pop-up business card from a paper engineer is a precious addition to ones collection. Eagle eyes are required to see the cards “palmed” to someone so that you know to ask for it. These cards were added to the other pop-up souvenirs from the conference.
Finally, it was time for my Magic Pen and I to power-down. After suggesting to Charity and Mike of Hallmark Cards that they explore the possibility of Hallmark co-hosting our next conference in Kansas City, I picked up my goodies, kissed all in attendance good-bye, and prepared to depart the City of Brotherly (and Sisterly) love.
Internet links associated with conference: *****
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trU9ex7oguc“I Love Shanghai” pop-up book
https://www.popuplady.com/about09-biggerbetter.shtml) [Guinness book of records]
http://bit.ly/1t2Byh4 [Isabel Uria]
http://bit.ly/1yqMzMr [TED-Ed Lesson]
https://www.youtube.com/user/HelloDoctorPuppet [Shelby Arnold]
https://www.popuplady.com/mbs12-saltlakecity.shtml [Ji Qui ]
http://www.youcantgetridofthebabadook.com/ [Simon]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXatoyzFUc4 [Hiebert-Alphablocks]
http://bit.ly/1LK6wCVm [Oak Knoll Press Pop-ups from Prague Kubašta catalog]
http://www.popupfunk.com [Rosston Meyer]
http://www.popupplayland.com/
https://www.popuplady.com/coll09-postcards.shtml [Larry-roller mechanism]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5SxIpMgLGY [Seidman tin toy collection]
http://www.dickbalzer.tumblr.com/
http://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/movable-stationery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iNGajj3lns [Werner Feiffer]
http://bit.ly/1C10iJl [Paul Johnson]
http://www.leftcoastpress.com/books-in-print.html [Dorothy Yule]
http://bitly.com/1u9M48R [Reinhart’s Transformers]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4eaD-gh_NE [Kevin Steele]
