The 1885 engraving of the Flapping Bird

This page provides links to a brief timeline of paperfolding history and other pages collecting together more detailed information about the main historical sources, individual designs and wider themes. There is also a bibliography of the published designs of Robert E Neale.

Objects made of paper are ephemeral and the record we have of them at an early date relies largely on their chance survival or their mention or appearance in poetry, books, fabrics, drawings and paintings. It is likely that many practical and recreational paperfolds are much older than the earliest evidence for their existence. Unfortunately, of course, we cannot know, even approximately, how much older they might actually be.

While I have long been interested in paperfolding history there are many paperfolders who know much more about the subject than I do and these notes should be seen as a starting point for further research and not as a comprehensive guide. I have, however, tried to make them as accurate as possible by basing them on verifiable sources rather than myth or imagination.

If you find any errors or inaccuracies in these notes, or are aware of important information, particularly early information, that I have overlooked, please let me know. At present information from the Main Sources has only been completely carried over into the relevant pages in the other columns up until 1928.

Where entries in the Main Sources column are marked '(incomplete information)' I have been unable to access a hard copy of the work or find a full copy on-line. If anyone can help fill in the missing information I will be extremely grateful. I will also be grateful to anyone who can supply details of any other important sources I may have overlooked.