Waldo “Wally” Hunt, the man responsible for the modern renaissance of the pop-up book industry, passed away earlier this month at the age of 88. After selling his West Coast-based advertising agency in the early ’60s, Hunt ended up in New York City. Disillusioned with his company’s fate, Hunt looked for a new passion. He found it on Fifth Avenue when he caught a glimpse of a Czechoslovakian children’s pop-up book in a toy store window. From that moment on, Hunt essentially became the pop-up business.
He started Graphics International and, using his business savvy, produced a series of pop-up ads as part of a magazine campaign for Wrigley’s gum. After a few advertising-related ventures, Hunt sold Graphics International, moved back west, and opened Intervisual Books, a publishing firm that would dominate the market for decades, counting Disney among its clients. A dedicated collector of pop-up art, Hunt owned more than 4,000 antique and contemporary works.
Check out 10 of our favorite pop-up books after the jump.
1. Andy Warhol’s Index by Andy Warhol
2. Mommy? by Maurice Sendak and Matthew Reinhart
3. Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and Sea Monsters! by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart
4. ABC3D by Marion Bataille
5. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Pop-Up Book by Lewis Carrol and Robert Sabuda
6. Modern Architecture Pop-up by Anton Radevsky and David Sokol
7. The Pop-up Book of Phobias by Gary Greenber
8. Electronic Popables by Jie Qi, with assistance from Leah Buechley and Tshen Chew.
9. Voyage To The Heart Of Matter – The Atlas Experiment At CERN by Emma Sanders and Anton Radevsky
And finally, an oldie but a goodie.
10. Inside the Personal Computer: An Illustrated Introduction in 3 Dimensions by Sharon Gallagher
