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Last updated 11/11/2025

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I define Cardboard Modelling as the production of two or three-dimensional forms by folding up and glueing together cut out shapes / nets and/or separate individual pieces of heavy paper and/or cardboard.

I have not made an attempt to discover every reference to the cardboard modelling technique.

There are separate pages for the related topics of:

Polyhedra Constructed from Irregular Nets

The Froebelian Occupation of Constructing Boxes from nets

The Additional Occupation of Constructing Polyhedra from Irregular Nets

The Additional Froebelian Occupation of Cardboard Modelling

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In Japan (and in publications by Japanese authors)

1894

Issue 1894 / 7 of the Japanese children's magazine 'Shokokumin' contains instructions for making a 'Western Sugar Box' using the cardboard modelling technique.

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Issue 1894 / 13 of the Japanese children's magazine 'Shokokumin' contains instructions for making a 'Paper Box' using the cardboard modelling technique. The instructions say to cut out the shape along the outer line then either to glue or tie the corners together.

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1895

Issue 1895 / 10 of the Japanese children's magazine 'Shokokumin' contains instructions for making a 'Cast Net Boat' using the cardboard modelling technique.

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1905

'Shukouka Kyohon : Liron Jishuu Souga Setsumei' by Kikujiro Kiuchi, Rokushiro Uehara and Hideyoshi Okayama, which was published by Shigebei Takase in Chiba in 1905, contains a section about Cardboard Modelling..

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In Europe and the Americas

Cut and Fold Polyhedral Nets - 1509 onwards

can be considered a form of Cardboard Modelling.

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I have made a separate page for 'Anweisung zum Modelliren aus Papier' by Heinrich Rockstroh (see below) because it is the first known book about this type of cut and fold technique. However, I have not made further individual pages since the technique of seems to have changed very little from this point onward.

1802

'Anweisung zum Modelliren aus Papier oder aus demselben allerley Gegenstände im Kleinen nachzuahmen. Ein nützlicher Zeitvertreib für Kinder' by Heinrich Rockstroh was published by Verlag des Landes-Industrie-Comptoirs, Weimar, in 1802.

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1810

'Die Kunst, mancherlei Gegenstände aus Papier zu formen', by Heinrich Rockstroh, was published by in 1810. This was a new extended version of his 1802 book.

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1811

'Der Papparbeiter oder Anleitung in Pappe zu arbeiten' by B H Blasche was published in 1911. A full copy of the work can be accessed here.

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1819

'Der Papierformer oder Anleitung, allerlei Gegenstande der Kunstwelt aus Papier nackzubilden' by B H Blasche was published in 1819. A full copy of the work can be accessed here.

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1829

'The Young Lady's Book', which was published by Vizetelly, Branston and Co in London, in 1829, contains a section on Modelling in Pasteboard and Paper which contains, inter alia, instructions for making various containers by the cardboard modelling method.

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1844

'The Boy's Treasury of Sports, Pastimes and Recreations' by Samuel Williams, which was published by D Bogue in London in 1844, contains a chapter on cardboard modelling.

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1848

'L'art de modeler en papier ou en carton, ou d'imiter et d'exécuter en petit toutes sortes d'objets... Ouvrage traduit de l'allemand...' was published by J. Rister in Mulhouse. The 1848 second edition can be viewed here. I do not know when the first edition was published.

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1865

'Spielbuch fur Madchen' by Maria Leske, which was published by Verlag von Otto Spamer in Leipzig in 1865 contains a page about making containers using this technique.

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1869

Volume 2 of 'Cassell's Household Guide', which was published by Cassell, Petter and Galpin in London and New York in 1869 contains instructions for making a brougham by the cardboard modelling technique..

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1872

'Das Deutschen Knaben Handwerksbusch' by Barth and Niederley, which was published in Bielefield and Leipzig in 1872.

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1874

There is a chapter on the use of cardboard modelling to make containers in 'Spiel und Arbeit' by Hugo Elm, which was published by Verlag und Drud der Otto Spamer in Leipzig in 1874.

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1888

'Cours de Travail Manuel (Pour les Garcons): Deuxieme Partie' by A Planty, which was published by Gedalge Jeaune in Paris in 1888, contains Cardboard Modelling designs for boxes, polyhedra and useful objects.

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1889

'La Science Pratique' by Gaston Tissandier, which was published by G Masson in Paris in 1889, contains a design for a Cartonnage Silveroctahedron, under the name 'Ballon fait sans rognure avec un carre de papier ou d'etoffe' (Balloon made without offcuts from a sheet of paper or cloth), which is made in two parts which then need to be glued or sewn together.

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1891

A few simple Cardboard Modelling designs appear in 'Illustriertes Spielbuch fur Kinder' by Ida Bloch was published by Otto Spamer in Leipzig in 1891.

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1910

'Allerlei Papierarbeiten' by Hildergard Gierke and Alice Kuczynski, which was published by Drud und Verlag B G Teubner in Leipzig and Berlin in 1910, contains a cradboard modelling design for a Zeppelin..

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1916

An article in 'Los Muchachos' of 17th December 1916 explains how to make a cardboard modelling style basket.

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