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Last updated 19/11/2024

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Lustiges Papierfaltbüchlein by Johanna Huber, 1940
 
'Lustiges Papierfaltbüchlein' by Johanna Huber has a complex publishing history. It was first published by Otto Maier in Ravensburg, Germany in 1927. The 1st to 4th editions (1927-1931) were published in a 13.9 x 19.7 cm format, the 3rd edition being completely revised and containing much new material. The 5th to 10th editions (1940 - 1958) were published in a reformatted 17.9 x 23.5 cm format. As far as I know the covers and contents of all the later editions were identical, although I have not seen a copy of every edition in this range.

This page is based on the 10th edition, published in 1958. You will note from the inscription on the title page that this copy of the work was once gifted to Neal Elias by Ligia Montoya. Neal Elias in turn gifted it to David Venables, who has kindly allowed me to see it.

The Foreword is very similar to the Foreword in the original 1927 edition. However it also says roughly, 'The designs are largely taken from from the old folding booklet 'Lustiges Papierfaltbüchlein' and the newly published book 'Buch der Kinderbeschaftigung'. But new ideas have also been added e.g. figures from folded strips (p13 on) and other folded groups such as the swineherd, the frog concert, the new town and the dollshouse (p21 on)'. This is disingenuous, since all of this material had already been included in the 1931 third edition.

'Das Buch der Kinderbeschaftigung' was first published in 1930 and Johanna Huber died in 1935. This suggests that the interpolation to the Foreword was added by the publisher rather than the author.

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This work is mentioned in Gershon Legman's 'Bibliography of Paperfolding' which was published in 1952.

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All the photographs and diagrams / drawings in the work previously appeared in the 1931 3rd edition, but there is one major, and a few minor, differences:

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Details of the diorama 'Puppenstube' (Doll's House) are not included in the book, despite this diorama being specifically mentioned as included in the Foreword.

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On page 17 the picture showing the construction of the Catherine of Cleves Box has been redrawn so that it is presented as an open-topped rather than a closed box. This is odd because if the box was folded up in the way shown, the internal tabs and pockets could not be linked.

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On page 15 with reference to photograph Abb. 100 the text says 'Beautiful fairy-tale birds and butterflies can also be made from the accordion folds' and goes on to describe how the designs are made. This information was not included in the 1931 edition, although the photograph was.

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The Work

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