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'Exercices et Travaux pour les Enfants' by Fanny and Charles Delon, 1873
 
'Exercices et Travaux pour les Enfants Selon la Méthode et les Procédés de Pestalozzi et de Froebel' by Fanny and Charles Delon was published by Librairie Hachette in Paris in 1873.

The information contained in this page is taken from the 5th Edition, published in 1897. I have not seen a full copy of the 1873 1st edition but I believe the paperfolding content to be identical.

A full copy of the 1897 version can be found at here

The chapter relating to 'Le Pliage' contains of a series of geometrical exercises, together with a page of accompanying illustrations, which also shows some Folds of Beauty, and a list of pliages (paperfolds) of 'des objets usuels' (everyday objects), which are, however, not otherwise illustrated, explained or referred to, the implication being, perhaps, that they were already well known. I have not gone into detail about the simple mathematical paperfolds. If you are interested you can study these further for yourself.

There is also a chapter relating to 'Le Tressage', the folding of single, double and triple paper strips.

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Le Pliage

Geometrical Exercises

See 14 to 17 and 33 to 36 of Plate 15 below. Two of these simple geometrical forms are given names:

18. La forme du pignon d'une maison (The shape of a gable of a house)

19. Une enveloppe ouverte (An open envelope). The text says that folding in the fourth corner produces the lettre close (closed letter)

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Forms of Beauty

The illustrations in Plate 15 also show:

20. The Double Blintz Basic Form.

21 to 23. Patterns developed from one side of the Double Blintz Basic Form.

24 and 25. Patterns developed from the other side.

26 to 28. Patterns developed from the Windmill Base. Specifically Rosette1, Rosette 2 and Rosette 3.

29. The Windmill.

30 to 32. Patterns developed from the Windmill.

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Des Objets Usuels (Folds of Life)

Identification of many of these designs is problematical. There are no illustrations accompanying this list and the designs do not seem to be listed in any kind of developmental order.

For the purposes of identification they can be divided into three categories:

Those that can be identified with some confidence from their name alone:

1. La saliere - The Saltcellar

4. Le coq - The Cocotte / Pajarita

5. La double pirogue (the double canoe) - The Double Boat

7. La boite a double couvercle (the box with two lids) - The Junk Box

8. Le cadre (the frame) - the Picture Frame

10. La chemisette (the shirt) - the Collar.

11. La table - The Table

14. Le petit soufflet (the little bellows) - The Bellows

21. La chaise (the chair) - the Chair

Those that cannot be identified:

(These designs have not been added to Individual Design Pages)

15. La lettre a deux cachets (the letter with two stamps) - the name previously occurs in 'Manuel Pratique de Jardins d'Enfants de Freidrich Froebel' by J-F Jacobs, published in Brussells and Paris in 1859. Unfortunately, at present, the design cannot be identified from either source.

16. La casquette a visiere (the cap with visor) - unidentifiable as there is no other mention of a design of this name at this early date.

18. Le papillon (the butterfly) - unidentifiable as there is no other mention of a design of this name at this early date.

19. La boite close (the closed box) - this is possibly the same design as 'la boite fermée' which occurs in 'Manuel Pratique de Jardins d'Enfants de Freidrich Froebel' by J-F Jacobs, published in Brussells and Paris in 1859. Unfortunately, at present, the design cannot be identified from either source.

20. L'etoile a quatre rayons (the star with four rays) - not identifiable from the name alone as there are several possible candidates.

22. La serviette dans son rouleau (the serviette in its roll) - unidentifiable as there is no other mention of a design of this name elsewhere in the literature.

Those that can be tentatively identified but not with complete confidence:

(These designs have not been added to Individual Design Pages)

2. La mitre persane (the Persian mitre) is possibly the Mitre, which appears as 'Mitre Persane' in 'L'Annee Preparatoire de Travail Manuel' by M P Martin, although this book was not published until 1893. If this identification is correct it is the earliest known mention of the Mitre design in the historical record.

3. Le pantalon d'enfant (children's pants). This title is reminiscent of 'La veste du mineur' in 'Manuel Pratique de Jardins d'Enfants de Freidrich Froebel' by J-F Jacobs, published in Brussells and Paris in 1859 which seems to refer to the Jacket. This may also be the design intended here.

6. La barque a voiles (the boat with sails). This title is reminiscent of the title 'La gondole à voiles' used as name for the Chinese Junk in 'Manuel Pratique de Jardins d'Enfants de Freidrich Froebel' by J-F Jacobs, published in Brussells and Paris in 1859.

9. Le berceau (the cradle) - There is no other mention of a design of this name at this early date. The earliest mention of a design by this name that I know of is in 'L'Annee Preparatoire de Travail Manuel' by M P Martin, which was published in 1893, where it refers to the Boat with Sail.

12. La portefeuille (the wallet) / 17. Le porte-monnaie (the wallet). One of these is probably the Boat with Double Fishbox or Portfolio and the other unidentifiable. But which is which?

13. La gondole (the gondola) - if 'La barque a voiles' is the Chinese Junk then this is probably the Gondola (the simple version of the same design without sails) which appears in the list of designs 'Manuel Pratique de Jardins d'Enfants de Freidrich Froebel' by J-F Jacobs, published in Brussells and Paris in 1859. Otherwise it is probably the Chinese Junk itself.

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Tressage (Braiding)

This chapter deals with the braiding of paper strips and contains an illustration showing examples of braids made from:

Single strips (pictures 10 to13)

Double strips (pictures 1 to 5). Picture 3 shows the Witch's Ladder.

Triple strips (pictures 6 to 9)

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La Decoupage

For details of the folding and cutting methods used refer to the Chapter on La Decoupage beginning on page 173 of the original book.

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Source Pages from the 1897 fifth edition.

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