Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Meggendorfer, Lothar
- Abstract:
- Lothar Meggendorfer (1847-1925) was a illustrator for Fliegende Blätter and Münchener Bilderbogen. During the late 1800s, he began designing and illustrating mechanical piture-books for children, and is considered the creator and chief innovator of moveable toy books. The collection consists of manuscripts and proofs of illustrations, covers, texts, and two books created by Meggendorfer.
- Extent:
- 2 boxes (1 linear ft.) 5 oversize boxes
- Language:
- English.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Collection consists of manuscripts and proofs of illustrations, covers, texts, and two books of Lothar Meggendorfer, children's book illustrator and designer of moveable toy books. Includes the books Im stadtpark, and Lustige zoologie. Manuscripts and proofs include Aus der Kinderstube, Beleuchtungsbilderbuch, Bubenstreiche, Da musst du Lachen, Das Paradies, Die fidele Onkel, Der Verwandlungskunstler, Die Frau Bas, Die lustige Tante, Die Uhr, Ein mal eins ist eins, Für die Allerkleinsten, Gemischte Gesellschaft, Gigerl's Freud und Leid, In grosspapa's garten, Lach mit mir!, Lustige Kinder-Kalender, Lustiges Automatentheater, Neues Struwwelpeterbuch, Shau mich an!, Verschiedene Leute, Viel Kopf viel Sinn, Von früh bis spat, and Zum Vernugen.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Meggendorfer was born on November 6, 1847 in Munich, Germany; after technical art studies, he became an illustrator for Fliegende Blätter and Münchener Bilderbogen; during the late 1800s, he began designing and illustrating mechanical piture-books for children; is considered the creator and chief innovator of moveable toy books; publications include Immer Lustig!: ein Ziehbilderbuch (ca. 1886) and All alive: a moveable toybook (ca. 1894); he died in 1925 in Munich.
Biographical NarrativeMeggendorfer was born on November 6, 1847 in Munich, Germany. Most of the books he illustrated were mechanical books for children, but Meggendorfer's humorous illustrations also appeared in conventional books and in the humor periodicals of Fliegende Blatter and the Munchener Bilderbogen. What distinguished Lothar Meggendorfer's books and what has come to be regarded as his genius was his ability to create mechanical books with intricate and realistic movements that had both humor or grace. Most of his mechanicals are tab operated with as many as 6 hinged pieces moving simultaneously; some are slatted mechanisms whereby the upper illustration magically dissolves to reveal a new and related illustration. Some have revolving discs and one has a three-dimensional head exposed through a hole in the pages. The most fabulous and elaborate books are his Internationaler Circus and Das Puppenhaus (The Doll's House). These ingenious pop-out panoramas deceptively present themselves as simple book -size objects when closed, only to become astonishing multi-dimensional detailed fold-out panoramas. Because he was so successful in his own lifetime, the demand for his books was great. Many of Meggendorfer's books went into to several printings and were published in England, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and even a few in the United States. In addition, it was not uncommon to find the same mechanical illustration used in different books. By the time that he died in 1925 in Munich, he had illustrated more than 100 books.
from Lothar Meggendorfer The Master of Moveable Books for Children http://www.alephbet.com/meggendo.html [13 November 1998]
- Physical location:
- Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Location of this collection:
-
A1713 Charles E. Young Research LibraryBox 951575Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
- Contact:
- (310) 825-4988