Category Archives: Activity books

Arte Grafica Monza’s Paper Model of a Race Car

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One of Monza’s main attractions is the “Temple of Speed,” or Autodromo Nazionale, the Formula 1 racetrack which has been the site of the Italian Grand Prix since 1922.   Naturally the local publisher Arti Grafiche Monza included race cars in its series of paper models, Costruzioni Scientifiche “Cartoccino.”

The Boschi brothers Gino and Renzo, sons of Ettore Boschi, socialist, mountaineer, newspaper editor, publisher, and children’s author “Nonno Ebe,” founded the firm in 1929 and its logo appears on the activity sheets.  Their design and printing are head and shoulders above the majority of their competitors in Europe and no glue was needed for their construction.One of the best known is of the famous dirigible Norge 1 designed by the Italian Umberto Nobile, which Roald Amundsen flew over the North Pole in 1926.  The sheet’s layout is so breathtakingly beautiful that one can be forgiven for overlooking the instructions built into the pieces’ arrangement and position. Cutting everything out would be a daunting task for all but very the patient with steady hands and small sharp scissors.The race car sheet (manufacturer and model unidentified) is much simpler than the one for Norge 1.   The fasces with the Roman numeral VI (year 6 in the Fascist era) on the car’s body translates into the year 1928, suggesting the sheet was an early publication. The image of the finished model is more schematic than the colorful, well drawn, and nicely detailed pieces.  The padded leather seat suggests restrained opulence, but could the driver navigate a high speed race with such a simple instrument panel?  And where is the driver’s wheel?

In the same purchase as the race car sheet were issues of the Junior Italian Red Cross magazine, Crociata dei Giovani [The Children’s Crusade].  This high-minded and patriotic periodical also fed the flame in little fascists for luxury car ownership with  advertisements for the stylish Fiat Ardita, the new touring car which was Italy’s riposte to the Ford Model B.  Just the thing to drive a party to Monza in September for the Grand Prix…

Portraits of United States Presidents in the Cotsen Stacks

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Lives of our Presidents. Philadelphia: National Publishing Co., [1902]. (Cotsen 82867) From the Mus White Collection of Photographically Illustrated Books.

Books for children about the presidents of the United States must include portraits of each.  Shown to the left is a detail of the frontispiece to Ella Hines Stratton’s Lives of Our Presidents: Containing the Childhood, Early Educcation, Occuptations, Characteristics and Achievements, (Philadelphia: National Publishing Co., 1902). Look closely and you will see that the foreheads of most of the presidents have large pencilled Xes.  None of the other portraits have been marked or annotated. Maybe the Xes indicate which presidential biographies had been read.  Perhaps it’s an sign of approval or disapproval. A few of the chapters are illustrated with more exciting subjects, like this one of the young Ulysses S. Grant, who was a superb rider, beating a circus pony at his game of throwing boys to entertain the crowds.

(Cotsen 82867)

Red, White and Blue. U.S.A.: Platt & Munk Co., Inc., 1949. (Cotsen)

Paper cutting and patriotism go hand-in-hand in a set of pamphlets illustrated by Louis Jacobson published in 1941 by Platt & Munk Co., which include American Pioneers, Famous Americans, and Famous Presidents. The presidents honored with “Stick’ Em Cut Outs (Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.)” are Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson.  The instructions are pretty clear: tear out the gummed page and cut out the individual pieces for the portrait to be realized.  Lay the pieces in their places on the outline portrait.  Lift up the pieces, gently moisten the gummed sides, and lay them back down on the portrait.  If the sponge is too wet, the pieces will buckle.  This art project will help children develop concentration, coordination, and patience.  Here is Jacobson’s outline portrait of Old Hickory with the page of pieces.

Red, White and Blue.

Red, White and Blue.

The last example is a recent acquisition.  It is probably the only school  yearbook in the Cotsen collection.  It is a record of the school year 1971-1972 at Punahou, the prestigious private co-educational college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii, founded by missionaries in 1841.  That year, the future 44th president of the United States was enrolled in Mrs.Hefty’s fifth-grade class.  He  turns up in the picture “On Strike” below, along with Malcolm Waugh.  the owner of this copy of the yearbook. You can find Barry Obama’s  signature in the detail from the “Autographs” page at the end.

Na Opio O Punahou, 1971-1972. [Hawaii, 1972]. (Cotsen)

Na Opio O Punahou, 1971-1972.

Na Opio O Punahou, 1971-1972.