The Public Paperfolding History Project

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Article in Selection du Reader's Digest, December 1970
 

The USA version of Reader's Digest magazine of August 1970 published an article entitled 'Paper Magic of Origami' which was 'condensed' from a similar article in 'Beacon Magazine' of Hawaii. In November 1970 a similar article was published in the Spanish language version of Reader's Digest, Selecciones del Reader's Digest.

My thanks to Juan Gimeno for sharing his copy of this article with me.

In the French version the article is accompanied by additional information about origami in France in a box headed 'L'origami en France', which says, roughly:

'It was a former professor of psychology at Harvard University, M S Legman, now based in Valbonne (Apes-Maritimes) who knew about the works of Akira Yoshizawa. In 1954 he brought together, in a small gallery at Cagnes-sur Mer some 300 works by the Japanese master, which was the first exhibition in the West.

In search of a wider audience, a young filmmaker, Nr Jean-Claude Meunier, decided last year to produce a series of 13 programs for television devoted to the practice of origami. Thanks to his initiative, during the 1970 Mardi Gras holidays, viewers were able to follow, every day for six minutes, the different stages of a folding presented by the Argentniian Carlos Corda, a great paperfolder.

The success was immediate. 200 letters received, two of which were signed by a whole class of schoolchildren. Most corresondents were educators curious to know more about Japanese art. Carlos Corda and J-C Meunier got back to work. The first shapes his little wonders in the paper while the second films over his shoulder. A new series of `13 programs of nine minutes each will be broadcast during the Christmas holidays.

Finally, they will publish at the beginning of next year a book, L'Art du Pliage, which will be the first real treatise on origami published in France.'

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