The History of Pop-Up Books

Pop-up books have their roots in moveable books, which were first made in the early 13th century by the Benedictine monk Mathew Paris and the Catalan mystic/ poet Ramon Llull, both of whom included volvelles (paper wheel mechanisms) for calculating dates and astrological positions of the stars in their tomes. The earliest pop-up book is thought to be an edition of Little Red Riding Hood published by Dean & Son in 1855. It was known at the time as a “scenic book” and featured various images that would “pop up” and add to the overall scene when a ribbon was pulled. Modern pop-up books with their distinctive three-dimensional parts were first created in the 1930s by S. Louis Giraud in England along with Thomas Brown. Several other individuals and publishers also contributed to the "golden age" of pop-up books, including Blue Ribbon Books, McLoughlin Brothers, Ernest Nister, Lothar Meggendorfer, Vojtech Kubasta, and more. Notably, moveable books and pop-up books were originally created for adults, not children. (For example, lift-the-flap mechanisms were particularly useful in medical texts.) But as the middle class grew and advances in bookmaking were made in the mid-18th century, books began to be published especially for children. Most were intended to teach them manners, religion, numbers, and letters, however, some were also created for their general entertainment. Pop-up elements became increasingly popular for their ability to engage and amuse children and adults alike. Today, pop-up books are still very popular among children and help teach, engage, and entertain young readers.