A Brief History of Flap Books

In the category of gimmicks, flaps have undoubtedly made a significant contribution, allowing for the creation of new effects impossible with simple manipulations.

However, this idea of a gimmick is not new (at all)! Without claiming it as the first reference, traces of flap cards can be found at least as early as the 18th century in the Récréations mathématiques et physiques (Mathematical and Physical Recreations).

Excerpt from the plates of the Récréations mathématiques et physiques, where the ancestors of our current flap cards are depicted!

For those most interested, this same book gives us this description of flap cards with regard to the illustrations above. Discover how flap cards were talked about in the 18th century!

Over the years, this type of gaffed card has been perfected. Nowadays, there is the addition of an elastic system for a visual change, or even a locking system for advanced gimmicks that allows the gaffed card to be activated when desired. Despite this, it's interesting to see that the basic principle itself is not new!

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