The Public Paperfolding History Project

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The Wagon / El Carro
 
This page attempts to record what is known about the origin and history of the origami design known as The Wagon / El Carro. 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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1847

In 'Juegos de los Ninos', which was published in Madrid by R y Fonseca in 1847 there is a section headed 'Pajaritas y otras figuras de papel doblado' (Pajaritas and other folded figures), the last sentence of which says, roughly, 'Similarly, and with the difference of increasing folds, making them in another direction to get the tips from different sides, children make little boxes, mirrors, tables, wagons, boats, etc., whose description would be very long.' There is no accompanying illustration but the word 'carros' (wagons) here should probably be taken as a reference to the Wagon / El Carro design.

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1883

As far as I know the Wagon is first pictured in a pictorial story by Apeles Mestres dated 2nd August 1883 found in his Llibre Vert III.

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The design also appears:

1893

As 'El carrito romano' in 'Cuestiones de Pedagogía Práctica: MedioThe design also appears:s de Instruir' by D Vicente Castro Legua, which was published by Libreria de la Viuda de la Hernando y Ca in Madrid in 1893. The folding sequence is not explained.

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1907

As 'Carro romano' (Roman chariot) in an article titled 'El trabajo manual escolar' by Vicente Casto Legua in the January 1907 issue of the Spanish magazine 'La Escuela Moderna' which was published in Madrid by Los Sucesores de Hernando.

The text mentions the possibility of adding a rectangular awning to this design.

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1908

In 'La Campana Catalana' of 29th April 1908, printed in Barcelona, in a cartoon featuring various paperfolding designs by Apeles Mestres, headed 'Fantasias' and 'Idili de paper'. This pictorial story had previously been published in his Llibre Vert III in 1883.

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c1929

As 'Carro' in booklet 1 of 'Trabajos Manuales Salvatella - Plegado de figuras de papel', which were published by Editorial Miguel A Salvatera in Barcelona, pobably in or around 1929.

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1939

As 'El carro con toldo' (The wagon with awning) in 'El Mundo de Papel' by Dr Nemesio Montero, which was published by G Miranda in Edicions Infancia in Valladolid in 1939.

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