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Created 27/3/2026. Last updated 27/3/2026

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This page is being used to collect material about the life and paperfolding of Aart Van Breda. It is not intended to be in any sense a complete biography. Please contact me if you know any of this information is incorrect or if you have any other information that should be added. Thank you.

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Introduction

Aart Van Breda was born in 1913 and died in 1972. He was a Dutch artist, author and illustrator who ran a small publishing company, Uitgeverij van Breda, in Amsterdam with his wife Catharina van Breda-de Vries, publishing mainly on children's books, which they translated from English into Dutch.

The first paperfolding book they published was a translation of Maying Soong's 'The Art of Chinese Paperfolding' into Dutch. Van Breda subsequently wrote a number of paperfolding books on his own account, most of which were translated into other European languages.

These books contained a mixture of traditional European paperfolds and others which Van Breda designed for himself.

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Sources

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Chronology

1949

Publication of 'Chinees Vouwboek', a translation into Dutch of 'The Art of Chinese Paperfolding' by Maying Soong.

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1950

Publication of 'Plezier met Papier'.

This work was subsequently published in translation:

Into French as 'Amusons-nous avec du papier' in the same year.

Into English as 'Pleasure with Paper' in 1954.

Into German as 'Freude mit papier' in 1960.

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1952

Publication of 'Avonturen met Papier'.

This work was subsequently published in translation:

Into French as 'A l'aventure avec du papier' in 1954.

Into English as 'Adventures with Paper' in 1955.

Into German as 'Abenteuer mit Papier' in 1960.

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1954

Publication of 'Kinderspeelboek'

This work was subsequently published in translation:

Into English as 'Children's Playbook' in 1955.

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1955

Publication of 'Het Grote Vouwboek'

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1963

Publication of the revised and expanded second editiopn of 'Het Grote Vouwboek'.

This work was subsequently published in translation:

Into English as 'Paper Folding and Modelling'.

Into German as 'Kempers Grosses Papierfaltbuch: Falten und Gestalten'.

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