A new exhibit of pop-up books has been installed in the Davis Family Library atrium at Middlebury College. This exhibit was curated by Middlebury College student Anne Lofgren, class of 2023.

Pop-up books have long been defined as a purely childish genre. However, their exciting three-dimensional features — characters that pop off the page, tabs that reveal hidden treasures, and wheels that spin — are playful, interactive, and entertaining for all ages. In fact, pop-up books were originally intended for an adult audience as early as 1775.

Books with three dimensional features are perhaps most well-known for visualizing the worlds of our favorite stories. However, pop-up books can also help us understand scientific concepts, express ourselves, experience our natural world, travel to otherwise faraway places, and tell less known histories. This exhibit will introduce (or perhaps reintroduce) you to a variety of pop-up books and cards made by talented paper engineers and illustrators that serve many of these different purposes. Hopefully, they will inspire you to consider how art and literature work together to tell us compelling narratives and teach us more about our world.

These pop-up books will be on display through the summer.