The Ice Book

I have been intrigued and fascinated with the toy theatre. As a child I always loved plays and the ballet. As a student I volunteered at the San Francisco Opera House as anusher so I could see them. I will never forget one opportunity I had to see the Moiseyev Dance Company and go back stage. I sat with a cobbler who travelled with the troupe. He told me he was always busy making and repairing their ballet shoes. I volunteered at the Curran and saw everything from "Death of a Salesman" to "Scrooge". Many happy memories! So why this fascination with the toy theatre? Perhaps because it brings back those happy memories or perhaps it is the fun in working with paper, cutting and gluing and designing. I have read numerous books on the subject many written in the 1930' through the forties. You can find many references under the subject Juvenile Drama, popular in England during the mid 1800's. Scenery, characters and theatres reproduced on a small scale for children to cut, put together and re-enact the plays that were being seen by adults at the "Grand" theatres of the time. The more I researched the subject the more fascinated I became so forgive me for my enthusiasm! As a naive observer I see a resurgence in the interest with the toy theatre and paper toys. Perhaps this is a reaction to video games or perhaps due to an economy that is encouraging frugality. Paper is fun to cut for the young and the old and it does not cost much! You can find wonderful jointed paper dolls, mechanical paper toys, and entire paper villages. The popularity in Altered Art and collage has only added to an old children's playtime being revived with new life. I have recently thought about going back to school and getting my masters in Art Therapy, but the expense is astronomical. So here I am having fun designing paper toys, banners and other fun paper projects using images from a simpler time. I added the video below not only because it is a work of art, but because it demonstrates to me we can create a beautiful world with paper and technology.

The Ice Book from Davy and Kristin McGuire on Vimeo.