MOVABLE STATIONERY Volume 2 Number 2
June, 1994
Belgian Pop-up Exhibit
of Walt Disney, and Hergé. This exposition brings
Theo Gielen, The Netherlands
An exhibit of pop-up books was on display in Brussels from November 1993 through March 1994. It was a beautiful exhibit of mostly recent books, supplemented with books from the fifties and sixties and some twenty or thirty older ones. In all there were some 350 books displayed. Some books in every showcase could be moved by an ingeniously built-in mechanism activated by a pullthe-string from outside the showcases! The whole collection was recently presented to the museum by a Brusselian French-languaged collector, so most of the items are the French editions of the familiar English editions. Unfortunately, the planned catalog did not appear, but there has been published a book with information on the history, techniques and description of some highlights of the exhibition with colored illustrations and two integrated popups. Also available are a pop-up postcard, used as the invitation for the exposition (opened by Jan Pienkowski) and two posters (65x40 cm and 110 x175 cm). All of the publications used the same picture which included the museum itself an old medieval towngate surrounded by illustrations from five pop-up books. -
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The brochure describing the exhibition is translated to read: "Pop-up is a contemporary Anglo-saxon word. Literally it means 'jump up, jump out' and refers to a model that stands free of its framework or printed background by a system of foldings, cut-outs and pastings. A magical object in three dimensions that leaves a ifelike impression. This exposition which revives one's childhood, leads us through the fairy world of popups. She has been made from one of the most important private collections from Belgium. "This collection encloses 'movable books' from 1830 until around 1900, postcards and pop-up books from the nineteenth century, reprints of highlights before 1900, originals from the first half of this century until nowadays. Here we see many eye-catchers, among other books and memorabilia
likewise the opportunity to honour our Maecenas Mister Baudouin van Steenberghe who gifted his collection to the Royal Museum of Art and History. The collection will be added after the exposition to the collection of the folk art of the museum."
The museum normally exhibits old toys and the staff told me it was not yet clear if any or part of the collection will be on display in the museum after the exposition.
Israeli Pop-up Books Raphael Grunzweig, Ra' Ananna, Israel
It's obvious that most Anglo-American pop-up collectors are concentrated in English rather than in other languages. But, I'm not sure that was the reason why the first Israeli pop-up book was issued in English. The newspaper clipping from 1983 tells the story: Davig Gilboa, known Israeli artist in the field of children's books, ephemera, games and graphics, made two books titled The Zoo, linocuts, four colors, 3-D pictures, short text. The books were registered as patent no. 2523 by the British Mandate of Palestine 1940. The books were published by M. Anavi, Kufsia Pub. House, Telaviv. Distributed by Agent Katzenbergen. They were for the very young.
Thirty years later visitors and catalog owners of the exhibition that took place at Bethnal Green Museum, London, 1988 found in the hand list, chapter 15, Hebrew book. The book is David and Goliath, one from a set of four Bible story pop-ups and Samson the Hero (others: Moses, Noah's were published in Tel-Aviv in 1963 by A. Naor, Zfardea Library. The artist's name is not given but it is signed A (Hebrew Aleph) and J (English letter). It is Iza the children's book illustrator? a
Ark,
Illustrations from The Zoo appear on page 3.