Show Me a Story: Children's Books & the Technology of Enchantment     
In the Gallery Aug 20 - Nov 5, 2004     

 

	Books from the exhibition Acknowledgements Exhibition Checklist Exhibition Essays The Structures of Enchantment - Past, Present and Future by Steve Woodall From Fairy Tales to Moving-Parts Books: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of Knick-Knack Paddywhack. An Interview with Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky The Paper Engineer's Role in the Creation of a Pop-up Book by Andrew Baron Encoding Enchantment: Engineering the Materials of Story by Maribeth Back Lothar Meggendorfer, 1847-1925 by Ann Montanaro		Lothar Meggendorfer, 1847-1925 by Ann Montanaro Lothar Meggendorfer's humor and imagination introduced to movable books an unrivaled pairing of wit and sophistication. From the 1880s through the turn of the century he illustrated more than one hundred books. Yet he is best known for the ingenious movables that demonstrated his wide-ranging skill at using a diverse array of techniques including tabs, stand-up panoramas, and dissolving and revolving plates. Meggendorfer was born in Münich, Germany in 1847, the youngest of his father's twenty-five children from two marriages. He began his career as an illustrator and humor writer for the publications Fliegende Blatter and Münchener Bilderbogen. In 1889 he began his own journal Meggendorfer Humoristische Blatter, which was published until 1929. The illustrator's transition into paper engineering began with a movable book called Lebende Bilder that he created as a Christmas gift for his son. When Meggendorfer introduced complex mechanicals into his books the devices generated action with a realism more sophisticated than ever before. The pull of a tab or lever brought to life comedic situations and humorous poses. An image that seemed simple on the surface belied the complex set of pivoting tabs with multiple joints hidden inside the pages. These joints and tabs produced expressive movement: eyes growing wide, dog tails wagging, dancing bodies swaying, working arms stretching, and animal necks extending o gather food. Meggendorfer's inventive use of paper and rivets for maximum real-life action brought special amusement to viewers who were captivated by the fact such an effect could be produced by printed paper. Ann Montanaro is president of the Movable Book Society. A recognized authority on movable books, she is the author of two reference works on the subject.
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