Philip Salmon & Company Rare Books

The idea that a book’s structure and format encourage a deeper relationship between the reader and the material lies at the heart of this particular grouping, and inspired the title of this, our first catalogue. While the traditional pop-up/movable book produced for children comprises a large part of the contents that follow, we have extended the definition of an “interactive book” to include contemporary artist’s books, as well as works intended for use in design and the decorative arts, and a few oddities for good measure. The majority of the traditional movables for a juvenile audience are from a private collection, and the whole has been broken out as follows: books designed by the influential and ingenious German artist, Lothar Meggendorfer; the charming works published by Ernest Nister; the paper engineering of Vojtech Kubasta; a small selection of pop-ups from Blue Ribbon Books, including a number of Disney titles; a host of other children’s items from the 19th and 20th centuries; modern book arts; technical materials of clever graphic design; and odd items of optical interest. This sectioned presentation charts over 125 years in the history of the interactive paper object, and the breadth of the material sampled demonstrates the universal appeal of the tactile book. Reading is play, practice, instruction, and in every degree an encounter with wonder. We hope that you will find something wonderful of your own here.