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Last updated 30/12/2025

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I define Cardboard Modelling as the production of two or three-dimensional forms by folding up 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

1440

The Book of Hours of Catherine of Cleves

(cut and fold box)

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Foldable Nets for Polyhedra - 1509 onwards

can be considered an early form of Cardboard Modelling.

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1525

Woodcut by Georg Hartmann, 1529

(for a print to be folded into a sundial in the form of a crucifix)

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1570

Book 11 of 'The Elements of Geometrie' by Henry Billingsley was enhanced by the addition of 60 foldable paper models illustrating the text which were glued to the pages and could be raised into position when the pages were opened.

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1797

'Der Papparbeiter oder Anleitung in Pappe zu arbeiten' by B H Blasche was published in 1797.

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1800

'Werkstatte der Kinder' by B H Blasche was published in 1800. It contains a chapter on making boxes from nets.

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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.

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1818

'L'art de modeler en papier ou en carton' was published by Jean Rister in Mulhouse in 1818.

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1819

'Der Papierformer oder Anleitung, allerlei Gegenstande der Kunstwelt aus Papier nackzubilden' by B H Blasche was published in 1819.

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1824

'Papyro-Plastics or the Art of Modelling in Paper' is a translation into English by D Boileau of Der Papierformer by Blasche.

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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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1836

'Belustigungen für die Jugend beiderlei Geschlechts, durch Selbstanfertigung mannichfacher, leicht ausführbarer technischer Künsteleien und Spielwerke' by Heinrich Rockstroh, 1836.

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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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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

'Education of Head and Hand' by Gabriel Bamberger, which was published by A Flanagan in Chicago in 1891, contains a chapter on Cardboard Work which explains how to make boxes and other useful objects / polyhedra / models of furniture using the cardboard modelling technique.

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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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1893

'Sloyd: Educational Manual Training' by Everett Schwartz was published by the Educational Publishing Company in Boston in 1893. It contains chapters on Paper Work and Cardboard Work. Apart from the material used, the difference between Paper Work and Cardboard Work designs is that the Paper Work designs are sewn together while the Cardboard Work designs are glued together using tabs. Both can be considered to be types of Cardboard Modelling.

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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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1934

Designs for containers, polyhedra and useful designs appear in the 9th edition of 'Guia Practica del Trabajo Manual Educativo' by Ezequiel Solana, which was published by Editorial Magisterio Español in Madrid in 1902.

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