Main Index Page

Last updated 30/4/2024

x

As far as I know the first editions of all these books are undated. In his 'A History of Folding in Mathematics: Mathematizing the Margins' (p231) Michael Friedmann states that part 2 was 'published around the end of the nineteenth century.' I do nor know what evidence he was relying on for this date. Dr Birgit Ebert has kindly let me have a copy of the flyer shown below, which is dated November / December 1910, and which strongly suggests that all four books were first published at that time. There is nothing in the wording of the flyer to suggest that this was a republication of previously published works. Pending receipt of any information to the contrary, I have therefore used 1910 as the publication date of the first edition.

I am grateful to Dr Birgit Ebert for also letting me see a full copy of Part 2 of this work.

**********

Part 1: Das Flechten

**********

Designs woven from folded strips

**********

Fold, Cut and Fold Chevron Designs

**********

Part 2: Das Falten

**********

Part 2 contains sections on Das Falten and Schonheitsformen.

Das Falten

The Forms of Life (Das Falten) section is divided into:

The simplest folding shapes of the kindergarten (ie simple folds of life)

Folding from the simple basic groundform (ie from the double blintz base / windmill base)

Folding shapes that do not start from the basic groundform (ie miscellaneous designs)

Folding from the double basic groundform (ie the third groundform or triply blintzed basic form)

A number of other miscellaneous designs are tagged on at the end.

Inter alia the introductory material states, roughly translated, 'it is very boring for the child who likes to create if he is mainly taught in a folding lesson and the little fingers have to remain idle. The exploitation of the paper as an object of denonstration for mathematical lessons would rather be reserved for the intermediate and lower classes of the learning school (presumably elementary school).

**********

Simple Froebelian Forms of Life

(Not numbered)

Bilderbuch (picture book)

**********

Taschentuch (handkerchief)

**********

Täschchen (purse)

**********

Zelt (tent)

**********

Umschlagetuch (shawl)

**********

Segelschiff (sailing ship)

**********

Haus (house)

**********

Wickellbett (nappy changing table)

**********

Briefumschlag (envelope)

**********

Brief (letter)

**********

Tüte (bag)

**********

Becher (cup) - The Paper Cup

**********

Designs from the double blintz base / windmill base

1. Salzfass - The Salt Cellar

**********

2. Kabaret - The Pepperpot

**********

Reisetasche - The Travel Bag

**********

Krone - The King's Crown

**********

Bett - The Bed

**********

Körbchen - The Basket

**********

Vogel (bird) - The Cocotte / Pajarita

**********

Tisch - The Table

**********

Windmühle - The Windmill

**********

Das Segelschiff - The Boat with Sail

**********

Krawatte (kravat) - The Vase

**********

Drachen (dragon) - The Squid

**********

13, Ente - The Duck

**********

14, Doppelkahn - The Double Boat

**********

15, Kahn mit Fischkasten - Boat with Fishbox

**********

16, Zwei Fischkasten - The Portfolio

**********

17, Das Spiegelrahmen - The Frame

**********

18, Der Spiegel - The Mirror

**********

19, Das Kästschen (the casket) - The Solid Box

(The wording makes it clear that this is the Solid Box. although the drawing looks more like the Junk Box. The inclusion of flaps in the drawing is an error. The wording says, roughly, 'The inner edges are carefully pulled apart fron the mirror frame'.)

**********

Miscellaneous designs

20, Wandtasche (wall pocket) - The Paper Cup

**********

21, Boot (boat) - The Keel Boat

**********

22, Schweinchen - The Pig

**********

23, Bilderrahmen (picture frame)

**********

24, Haus (house) - Paper Sloyd

**********

25, Die Sammet oder Perlentüte (velvet or pearl bag) - The Hexagonal Packet

**********

26, Täschchen (purse) -

**********

Designs from the triple blintz basic form

28, Orden (medal) - The Cross

**********

29, Stern (star) - The Cross Star

**********

30, Jacke (jacket) - The Jacket

**********

31, Hose - The Trousers

**********

32, Stiefel - The Pair of Boots

**********

33, Stuhl - The Chair

**********

34, Schmetterling - The Butterfly

**********

35, Portemonnaie (coin wallet) - The Junk Box

**********

36, Hohes Kästchen (height box) - The Junk Box

**********

37, Gondel (gondola) - The Chinese Junk

**********

More miscellaneous forms

38, Sanduhr (the sandglass)

Developed from the Portemonnaie

**********

39, Guckkasten (peep box) - The Waterbomb

**********

40, Nachtfalter (the moth)

**********

41, Blasebalg - The Bellows

**********

42, Frosch (frog) - The Waterbomb Base Frog

**********

43, Blatt (leaf)

From a single pleated sheet.

**********

44, Geschlossenes Kästchen (closed box) - The Catherine of Cleves Box

**********

45, Flattermühle - The Cut and Fold Windmill

**********

46, Knalltasche (pop bag) - The Paper Banger

It is interesting to note that in these instructions the diagonal creases are not diagonals of the central single layer, as they might be in a modern version of the design. Widening the diagonals increases the ease with which the banger can be made to fire.

**********

47, Zaubertäschchen (magic bag) - The Puzzle Purse

**********

48, Sonnenschirmchen (the parasol)

Made in two pieces.

**********

49, Henne mit Küchlein (hen with chicks) - The Cocotte / Pajarita

**********

50, Tisch mit Stühlen (table with chairs) - The Table / The Chair / The Salt Cellar

**********

51, Schippe (shovel) and 52, Spitze Schippe (spade) - The Shovel

**********

53, Einfacher Helm (easy helmet) - The Newspaper Hat

**********

54, Aufgeschlagener Helm (the opened helmet) - The Pyramidal Hat

**********

55, Fächer (the fan) - Pleated Paper Fans

**********

56, Schmetterling (the butterfly)

Folded from two pieces

**********

57, Ordensstern (medal star)

Folded from two pieces

**********

58, Zugvögel (migratory birds).

**********

59, Grosse Schiff (large ship) - The Paper Boat

**********

60, Federkasten - The Pencil Case

**********

61, Pfeil (arrow) - The Paper Dart

**********

62, Ziehharmonika (accordion) - The Witch's Ladder

**********

63-65, Bänder (the bands).

**********

Selected Pages

**********

Schonheitsformen

**********