The Joy of Transformation: Greeting Cards from the Romantic Era

Around 1800, the tradition of sending pop-up New Year’s greeting cards became a widely popular fad. Simple greetings turned into small works of art: cards with flaps, discs, and levers that transformed scenes, set figures in motion, and conveyed messages. Even Goethe was enthralled. The exhibition features a selection of pop-up cards with surprise effects, many from the heyday of these cards between 1796 and around 1820, which coincided with the emergence of the Romantic arts. Complemented by movable children’s books and paper toys of the time, the exhibition reveals the magic of an era in which transformation was a source of delight.