Main Index Page

Created 25/9/2021. Last updated 14/4/2026.

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In China (and in publications by Chinese authors)

1934

The design appears as 'Paper Ladder' in 'Zhezhi Xinfa' (New Ways to Fold Paper), which was published by The Commercial Press in China in 1934.

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In Europe and the Americas

1881

As far as I know this effect first appeared in a reader's letter in the Letterbox column of the January 1881 issue of the American children's magazine St Nicholas as a way to make a paper Jacob's Ladder.

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1889

A description of how to make a 'Jacob's Ladder' appeared in Vol 10 No 1 of the magazine 'Good Housekeeping', which was published in Springfield, Massachusetts on November 9th 1889. Information from Edwin Corrie.

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1905

An illustration of the Newspaper Ladder appear in the Buenos Aires edition of the magazine 'Caras y Caretas', Issue 238, of 25th March 1905, where it is just called 'escalera'.

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1914

An article in 'Los Muchachos' of 27th February 1916 explains how to make 'una pagoda china'.

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This effect also appears:

1919

As 'Jacob's Ladder' in 'Paper Tricks' by Will Goldston, which was published in London in 1919.

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1920

In 'Paper Magic' by Will Blyth, which was first published by C Arthur Pearson in London in 1920.

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1922

In 'Houdini's Paper Magic', which was published by E P Dutton and Company of New York in 1922, under the title of 'Jacob's Ladder'. The same book also includes a variant of the effect which Houdini calls the Trellis (pictured on the right below)

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1931

In 'La Nature' Issue 2853 of 15th March 1931 in an article by Albers headed 'Pliages de papier' and subheaded 'L'echelle de bambou'. The introduction states, roughly, 'When I looked at the Library of the Guimet Museum for the true origin, not of the cut-out Chinese shadows, but of the shadows with my hands (La Nature du 29 Septembre 1894) I had the good fortune to discover a folding of paper that was unpublished. This Chinese folding can do well among the Japanese folding ...'

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1932

Another article in Issue 2872 of 'La Nature' of 1st January 1932 showed how to make a Newspaper Pagoda, described as, roughly, 'a curious combination, of the same genre, which is presented in the music halls'.

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In 'Winter Nights Entertainments' by R M Abraham, which was first published by Constable and Constable in London in 1932, under the title of 'A Paper Ladder'.

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1937

In 'Paper Toy Making' by Margaret Campbell, which was first published by Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons Ltd in London, probably in 1937, although both the Foreword and Preface are dated 1936, which argues that the book was complete at that date.

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1939

Both the Newspaper Ladder (as 'Jacob's Ladder') and the Newspaper Pagoda (as 'The Chinese Temple') appears in 'Fun with Paper' by Joseph Leeming, which was published by Spencer Press Inc in Chicago in 1939.

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1945

As 'A Wonderful Paper Ladder' in 'The Children's Games and Amusements Book' by Morley Adams, which was published by Faber in 1945.

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1960

As just 'The Ladder' in 'Paper Folding Fun' by Robert Harbin, which was published by Oldbourne in London in 1960.

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