The Public Paperfolding History Project

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Last updated 2/8/2025

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How to Construct Crosses by Folding Paper
 
This page is being used to collect information about the history of ways of constructing crosses by folding paper. Please contact me if you know any of this information is incorrect or if you have any other information that should be added. Thank you.

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Three Crosses / The Altar / Ticket to Heaven - 1813 onwards

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1887

Several variations of a way of making a folds and one cut cross from a square appear in 'Le Travail Manuel a L'ecole Primaire' by M. Coste et J. Lapassade, which was published by Lafon, Vve Ribaut et Tonnet in Pau and A Jeande in Paris in 1887.

One Cut Crosses

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A two cut Maltese Cross

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1892

A basic version of the fold and one cut latin cross design appears in the 30th October 1892 issue of 'Journal des Instituteurs'. This is extracted from the book 'Le Travail Manuel a L'ecole Primaire, by M. Coste et J. Lapassade, which had been published in 1887.

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1922

In 'Houdini's Paper Magic' published by E P Dutton and Company of New York in 1922. The effect is titled 'Three Crosses'. Nothing is said about use of the various leftover pieces. The Greek Cross and the Maltese Cross are obtained from a folded square in a similar way.

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1939

'Fun with Paper' by Joseph Leeming, which was published by Spencer Press Inc in Chicago in 1939, contains diagrams for the The Fold and One Cut Latin and Greek Crosses

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