Margaret Class shared her passion for and knowledge of this interactive genre of books.

On Wednesday, April 18th, the Leatherby Libraries was proud to host the inaugural lecture of the new John and Margaret Class Lecture Series. This talk, presented by Margaret Class, addressed the history of pop-up and movable books, and showcased some of Class’ own collection of these unique books as well. The event incorporated remarks by Dean Charlene Baldwin as well as Rand Boyd, Special Collections and Archives Librarian, and Rachelle Chuang, Graphic Design lecturer.

Rand Boyd, with Dean Charlene Baldwin, introduce Margaret Class.

 

Rachelle Chuang, Graphic Design lecturer, discusses the books and exhibition. Students from her Introduction to Lettering and Book Arts class attended the lecture.

After the lecture, guests explored the current exhibition in the Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives. Curated by Rand Boyd and Briana Bohn, Expanding Imagination: The Art of Pop-Up and Movable Books, features a selection of these interactive publications. The exhibition is on view until May 31, 2018.

Lauren Ogie ’18 attended the lecture for her Lettering and Book Arts class, and enjoyed the talk and exhibition:

“Many do not think of books as being an art form, but this exhibition and talk show otherwise. It was inspiring to see the passion that Margaret Class has for the book arts. She was so kind and willing to share her knowledge and collection. It was great to see many of the book forms that we are taught in class in the exhibition, which explores the important role that the book form plays with the viewer.”

Special thanks to everyone who helped with and attended this exciting event!

About the speaker: Mrs. Margaret Class, a California native, is an educator, book collector, and volunteer. She is an active member of the Miniature Book Society, the Book Club of California, the Movable Book Society, and Los Compadres, among others. Together, she and her late husband, John Class, pursued their love of book collecting, book making, and bookbinding. They acquired the largest private collection of leaf books, miniature books, and movable books. She has donated much of their collection to the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University. From 2011 to 2017, Mrs. Class sponsored the annual John and Margaret Class Student Book Collection Contest.

Exhibit title paper sculpture engineered and built by: Lien Nguyen and Justine Lim