Revisiting Keroliver's Amazing Solar Vehicles Papercraft Collection via Le Forum en Papier

A few years ago, I featured here on the blog a wonderful collection of solar-powered vehicle papercrafts created by the talented French designer and model maker Keroliver. Since quite some time has passed, I thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit this remarkable project, especially for readers who may have missed it the first time.

Back in November 2013, Keroliver started a thread called Voitures Solaires (Solar Cars) at Le Forum en Papier, sharing his paper reproductions of real solar-powered vehicles, including experimental prototypes and racing machines developed by universities and engineering teams from around the world. More than a decade later, the thread has become an impressive archive of solar vehicle designs and papercraft modeling.

The photographs illustrating this post show just a small sample of his creations. Some look almost like conventional automobiles, while others feature enormous solar panels, unusual aerodynamic shapes and lightweight structures that seem straight out of a science fiction movie. A few models even include opening doors, movable parts and surprisingly delicate details.

One thing I particularly admire about Keroliver's work is how he manages to reproduce such unusual machines in relatively small scales. His favorite scale is 1/64, although many of the newer models are also available in 1/43. Some are quite simple to assemble, while others will certainly test your patience and modeling skills.

All these papercrafts are shared at Le Forum en Papier, which, in my opinion, is the best papercraft forum in all of Europe. It is a wonderful community where talented modelers exchange ideas, show their work and generously share their creations with fellow enthusiasts.

What makes this collection particularly interesting is that it goes beyond paper modeling. It is also a fascinating journey through the history of solar-powered vehicles, from early experimental machines to sophisticated racing prototypes designed to travel long distances using sunlight as their main source of energy.

If you enjoy unusual vehicles, engineering, renewable energy or simply papercrafts that are a little different from the ordinary, I highly recommend exploring Keroliver's collection. There is plenty to discover, and you might find yourself spending much more time browsing the thread than you originally planned.

Há alguns anos, apresentei aqui no blog uma coleção maravilhosa de veículos movidos a energia solar em papel, criada pelo talentoso designer e modelista francês Keroliver. Como já faz bastante tempo, achei que seria uma boa oportunidade para revisitar esse projeto notável, especialmente para os leitores que não tiveram a chance de conhecê-lo na primeira publicação.

Em novembro de 2013, Keroliver iniciou um tópico chamado Voitures Solaires (Carros Solares) no Le Forum en Papier, compartilhando suas reproduções em papel de veículos solares reais, incluindo protótipos experimentais e máquinas de competição desenvolvidas por universidades e equipes de engenharia de várias partes do mundo. Mais de uma década depois, o tópico se transformou em um impressionante arquivo de projetos de veículos solares e modelismo em papel.

As fotografias que ilustram esta postagem mostram apenas uma pequena amostra de suas criações. Alguns veículos lembram automóveis convencionais, enquanto outros apresentam enormes painéis solares, formas aerodinâmicas incomuns e estruturas leves que parecem saídas diretamente de um filme de ficção científica. Alguns modelos possuem até portas que se abrem, partes móveis e detalhes surpreendentemente delicados.

Uma das coisas que mais admiro no trabalho de Keroliver é sua capacidade de reproduzir máquinas tão incomuns em escalas relativamente pequenas. Sua escala favorita é 1/64, embora muitos dos modelos mais recentes também estejam disponíveis em 1/43. Alguns são bastante simples de montar, enquanto outros certamente colocarão à prova sua paciência e suas habilidades como modelista.

Todos esses papercrafts são compartilhados no Le Forum en Papier, que, na minha opinião, é o melhor fórum de papercraft de toda a Europa. É uma comunidade maravilhosa, onde modelistas talentosos trocam ideias, mostram seus trabalhos e compartilham generosamente suas criações com outros entusiastas.

O que torna essa coleção particularmente interessante é que ela vai além do modelismo em papel. É também uma viagem fascinante pela história dos veículos movidos a energia solar, desde as primeiras máquinas experimentais até sofisticados protótipos de competição projetados para percorrer grandes distâncias utilizando a luz do sol como principal fonte de energia.

Se você gosta de veículos incomuns, engenharia, energias renováveis ou simplesmente de papercrafts um pouco diferentes do habitual, recomendo muito explorar a coleção de Keroliver. Há bastante coisa para descobrir, e talvez você acabe passando muito mais tempo navegando pelo tópico do que havia planejado inicialmente.

Ready to explore more than a decade of solar-powered papercraft creations? Visit Keroliver's original thread at Le Forum en Papier through the link below, where you'll find the models, photographs and downloadable templates shared by the author. Be sure to browse through all the pages of the thread, as this remarkable collection is spread across several pages, with plenty of interesting models waiting to be discovered.

Solar Vehicles Papercraft Collection - by Keroliver - via Le Forum en Papier

If you enjoyed these unusual solar-powered vehicles, you might also like the four papercraft projects below, featuring futuristic cars, experimental automotive designs and imaginative science fiction machines:

01 - Blade Runner Type-S Yellow Coupe Papercraft - by Joshua Humphreys

02 - ZOOMIE XD1 Retro-Futuristic Space Vehicle Papercraft - by Space Gooose

03 - 1970s Lancia Bertone Stratos Zero Paper Model in 1/12 Scale - by Sunny78

04 - Blade Runner Police Spinner Type-S Papercraft - by Joshua Humphreys

GTA V - Ammu-Nation Gun Shop & Outdoor Shooting Range Papercraft More Work In Progress

Continuing the work of rebuilding and updating my old Ammu-Nation Gun Shop papercraft, inspired by GTA V and originally published here at Papermau in 2015, today I am sharing some new images showing the latest progress on the project.

As I explained in previous posts, the original idea was simply to improve the textures of the old Ammu-Nation, preserving the shape and characteristics of the original building while adding more definition, brighter colors and a few details that were missing from the first version.

But, as often happens with my projects, one idea led to another, and the whole thing started growing.

First came the rebuilt store, then the parking lot with its markings, including accessible parking spaces and a special spot reserved for the boss. Finally, I came up with the idea of creating a small outdoor shooting range that could be used alongside the Ammu-Nation.

And that is exactly what you can see in greater detail in today's images.

The shooting range includes wooden shooting benches, ammunition boxes, wooden crates, safety barriers, different types of targets and a large backstop with a heavily weathered appearance. I wanted the whole place to look well used, with aged textures, dirt, rust and small details that help create a more convincing atmosphere.

One important thing I would like to clarify is that this outdoor shooting range does not exist in GTA V. It is an original creation of mine, designed especially for this project, although I tried to make it visually compatible with the Ammu-Nation and the general atmosphere of the game.

In fact, what started as a simple addition has practically become a completely separate papercraft model.

And that is one of the things I like most about this project: its versatility.

Although it was designed to accompany the Ammu-Nation, the shooting range can be built and used independently. It can work as a small standalone diorama, a backdrop for miniature photography, part of a playset or an addition to other paper models.

It could also be combined with military buildings, garages, warehouses, urban scenery or practically any other setting where an installation of this kind would make sense.

Another interesting possibility is resizing the model. Since the shooting range is not tied to a specific real-world location or a mandatory scale, the templates can be enlarged or reduced to suit different collections and projects. For example, it could be adapted for the classic 33 mm Green Army Men figures or enlarged to serve as a playset or action figure backdrop for the famous 3.75-inch G.I. Joe figures and other toys of similar size.

Of course, a larger version would require more printing space and probably some adjustments during assembly, but I believe the relatively simple shapes of the structures and accessories make this a very interesting possibility.

As you can see in the new images, the shooting range fits alongside the store and its parking lot, forming a larger diorama without necessarily depending on those other elements to work.

As for the templates, all the shooting range pieces currently fit on three printed sheets. In the image below you can see a preview of those pages, including the different elements that make up the scenery.

I still have not decided whether the project is really finished or whether I will add a few more items before making it available. Every time I spend a little while looking at the model, I end up imagining something else that could be added or improved.

For now, I am continuing to work on the details and make the necessary adjustments so that everything works properly when printed and assembled.

I hope you are enjoying following the development of this project as much as I am enjoying creating it.

More updates are coming soon, and as soon as everything is ready, the model will be published here at Papermau for download.

If you would like to follow the development of this project from the very beginning, take a look at the four previous posts below. They show how the original Ammu-Nation was rebuilt, the first test assemblies and how a simple addition eventually became a separate outdoor shooting range papercraft:

01 - GTA V - Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Remastered - Work In Progress - by Papermau

02 - GTA V - Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Revisited - First Test Build - by Papermau

03 - GTA V - Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Revisited - Test Build Almost Finished - by Papermau

04 - Outdoor Shooting Range Papercraft Diorama - Work in Progress - by Papermau

Aos amigos de língua portuguesa: como esta publicação ficou um pouco mais longa que o habitual, optei por manter aqui apenas a versão em inglês. A versão completa em português está disponível no meu blog secundário, neste link: CLIQUE AQUI.

Halloween Special - Four Haunted Houses To Color And Build Papercraft For Kids - by Paola Misesti

This is the first Halloween papercraft I'm posting here on the blog this year, and to start the season, I've chosen a simple and fun project made especially for children.

Created by Paola Misesti, from the Italian website Homemademamma, this papercraft features four cute little haunted houses in 3D, along with a collection of small paper characters. The houses look very similar at first glance, but each one has a few different details, which makes coloring and assembling them even more fun.

Halloween is celebrated on October 31 and has its roots in old European traditions. Over time, it became a popular celebration in many countries, especially in the United States, where children dress up in costumes and go from house to house asking for candy. Ghosts, witches, pumpkins and haunted houses are some of the most familiar symbols of this holiday.

One of the nicest things about this project is that the templates are in black and white, so children can use colored pencils, crayons or markers to decorate the little houses however they like. This means that even when using the same templates, each child can create something different and unique.

Assembly is quite simple. Just print the templates, color the pieces, cut them out, fold and put everything together. The little characters can also stand on their own, so once everything is finished, the houses can become small playsets for inventing spooky stories or simply be used as Halloween decorations.

Besides being a fun pastime, this is also a nice way to encourage creativity, concentration and manual skills. A good activity for families to enjoy together or for teachers to use in the classroom during the Halloween season.

Este é o primeiro papercraft de Dia das Bruxas que publico aqui no blog este ano e, para começar a temporada, escolhi um projeto simples, divertido e feito especialmente para as crianças.

Criado por Paola Misesti, do site italiano Homemademamma, este papercraft traz quatro simpáticas casinhas mal-assombradas em 3D, acompanhadas de pequenos personagens de papel. À primeira vista, as casinhas parecem muito semelhantes, mas cada uma possui alguns detalhes diferentes, o que torna a atividade de colorir e montar ainda mais divertida.

O Dia das Bruxas é comemorado em 31 de outubro e tem suas raízes em antigas tradições europeias. Com o passar do tempo, tornou-se uma festa popular em vários países, especialmente nos Estados Unidos, onde crianças fantasiadas saem pelas ruas pedindo doces. Fantasmas, bruxas, abóboras e casas mal-assombradas são alguns dos símbolos mais conhecidos dessa comemoração.

Uma das coisas mais interessantes deste projeto é que os templates são em preto e branco, justamente para que as crianças possam usar lápis de cor, giz de cera ou canetinhas e decorar as casinhas como quiserem. Assim, mesmo utilizando os mesmos moldes, cada criança poderá criar algo diferente e único.

A montagem é bastante simples. Basta imprimir os templates, colorir as peças, recortar, dobrar e montar. Os pequenos personagens também ficam em pé sozinhos e, depois de tudo pronto, as casinhas podem se transformar em pequenos cenários para inventar histórias assustadoras ou simplesmente servir como decoração de Dia das Bruxas.

Além de ser um passatempo divertido, esta também é uma boa maneira de estimular a criatividade, a concentração e as habilidades manuais. Uma atividade interessante para fazer em família ou para os professores utilizarem em sala de aula nesta época do ano.

If you liked these little haunted houses and want to create your own colorful Halloween village, visit Paola Misesti's Homemademamma website and download the templates using the link below:

Four Haunted Houses To Color And Build - Halloween Papercraft For Kids - by Paola Misesti - Homemademamma

And if you enjoyed these little haunted houses, take a look at the links below for four more Halloween papercrafts, including haunted houses, a spooky castle and fun coloring activities for kids.

01: A Cute Easy-To-Build Haunted House Papercraft - by Instructables

02: Easy-To-Build Haunted Castle Papercraft For Kids - by Made In A Day

03: A Simple Haunted House Paper Model For Kids - by 123 Kids Fun

04: Halloween Special - 3D Halloween Coloring Pages For Kids - by Krokotak

Ghostbusters Headquarters - 1/250 Scale Papercraft Diorama by Rawen - PR Models

Some buildings become so closely associated with a movie that it is almost impossible to look at them without remembering a particular scene, a character or even a piece of music. The Ghostbusters headquarters is certainly one of them, and now, thanks to Czech papercraft designer Rawen, from PR Models, you can have a miniature version of this famous New York firehouse on your desk.

Created in 1:250 scale, this little papercraft reproduces the headquarters of the Ghostbusters as seen in the classic 1984 movie directed by Ivan Reitman. The building is presented as a complete miniature diorama, with a section of street, sidewalks, the familiar Ghostbusters logo and, of course, the unmistakable Ecto-1 parked outside the entrance.

Despite its small scale, the model has some very nice architectural details, including the red brick walls, tall windows, decorative cornices and the distinctive entrance of the old firehouse. The tiny Ecto-1 is a particularly nice addition, and helps bring the whole scene to life.

For those who may not know, the Ghostbusters headquarters is based on a real building. The firehouse belongs to Hook & Ladder Company 8, located at 14 North Moore Street, in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The building was used for the exterior shots of the original movie and remains an active fire station today.

Here is an interesting curiosity: although the exterior scenes were filmed in New York, many of the interior scenes were actually shot at Fire Station No. 23, a former firehouse in Los Angeles. So, in a way, the famous Ghostbusters headquarters that we remember from the movie was created using two different buildings, thousands of kilometers apart.

Released in 1984, Ghostbusters became one of the most recognizable comedies of the decade, combining supernatural adventures, humor and some very memorable characters. More than forty years later, its headquarters, the Ecto-1 and that little white ghost inside a red prohibition sign are still instantly recognizable.

Rawen describes this project as a quick little diorama, and the complete papercraft comes on just two sheets, one containing the parts and the other the assembly diagrams and base. The instructions also indicate a few pieces that should be reinforced with 1 mm thick paper. The templates are available as a free ZIP download on his Patreon page.

I particularly like papercrafts that recreate recognizable places from old movies. They are not just miniature buildings, but also little reminders of the films we watched and the characters we remember. This Ghostbusters headquarters is a good example of that, and Rawen has managed to capture its appearance in a surprisingly compact model.

If you like this little Ghostbusters diorama, I suggest downloading the templates while they are available for free. I don't know whether Rawen intends to keep this model free permanently or if this is just a temporary offer, so it might be a good idea to grab your copy while you can. And while you're visiting his Patreon page, take some time to explore his other creations. Rawen has many more interesting papercraft models available, and if you enjoy his work, consider supporting him by purchasing one of his paid models. It's a nice way to show your appreciation and help encourage him to keep creating new projects and, hopefully, sharing some of them with everyone for free.

Algumas construções ficam tão associadas a um filme que é praticamente impossível olhar para elas sem lembrar de uma cena, de um personagem ou até mesmo de uma música. O quartel-general dos Caça-Fantasmas certamente é uma delas e agora, graças ao designer tcheco de papercrafts Rawen, do PR Models, você pode ter uma versão em miniatura desse famoso quartel de bombeiros de Nova York sobre sua mesa.

Criado na escala 1:250, este pequeno papercraft reproduz o quartel-general dos Caça-Fantasmas, como aparece no clássico filme de 1984, dirigido por Ivan Reitman. A construção é apresentada como um diorama em miniatura, com um trecho de rua, calçadas, o conhecido logotipo dos Caça-Fantasmas e, naturalmente, o inconfundível Ecto-1 estacionado diante da entrada.

Apesar da escala reduzida, o modelo apresenta detalhes arquitetônicos muito interessantes, como as paredes de tijolos vermelhos, as janelas altas, as cornijas decorativas e a entrada característica do antigo quartel. O pequeno Ecto-1 é um detalhe especialmente simpático, que ajuda a dar vida à cena.

Para quem não sabe, o quartel-general dos Caça-Fantasmas é baseado em uma construção verdadeira. O prédio pertence à Hook & Ladder Company 8, localizada no número 14 da North Moore Street, no bairro de Tribeca, em Manhattan, Nova York. O edifício foi utilizado nas filmagens externas do primeiro filme e continua funcionando como quartel de bombeiros até hoje.

Aqui vai uma curiosidade interessante: embora as cenas externas tenham sido filmadas em Nova York, muitas das cenas internas foram gravadas na Fire Station No. 23, um antigo quartel de bombeiros de Los Angeles. Portanto, de certa maneira, o famoso quartel-general dos Caça-Fantasmas que conhecemos do cinema foi criado utilizando dois edifícios diferentes, separados por milhares de quilômetros.

Lançado em 1984, Os Caça-Fantasmas se tornou uma das comédias mais conhecidas daquela década, misturando aventuras sobrenaturais, humor e personagens bastante marcantes. Mais de quarenta anos depois, o quartel-general, o Ecto-1 e aquele fantasminha branco dentro de uma placa vermelha de proibição continuam sendo imediatamente reconhecíveis.

Rawen descreve este projeto como um pequeno diorama de montagem rápida, e o papercraft completo ocupa apenas duas folhas, uma com as peças e outra com os diagramas de montagem e a base. As instruções também indicam algumas peças que devem ser reforçadas com papel de 1 mm de espessura. Os templates estão disponíveis gratuitamente em um arquivo ZIP na página do autor no Patreon.

Eu gosto particularmente de papercrafts que recriam lugares conhecidos de filmes antigos. Eles não são apenas construções em miniatura, mas também pequenas lembranças dos filmes que assistimos e dos personagens que ficaram na memória. Este quartel-general dos Caça-Fantasmas é um bom exemplo disso, e Rawen conseguiu reproduzir sua aparência em um modelo surpreendentemente compacto.

Se você gostou deste pequeno diorama dos Caça-Fantasmas, sugiro baixar os templates enquanto estão disponíveis gratuitamente. Não sei se Rawen pretende manter este modelo gratuito permanentemente ou se esta é apenas uma oferta temporária, então talvez seja uma boa ideia garantir sua cópia enquanto é possível. E já que você estará visitando a página dele no Patreon, aproveite para conhecer suas outras criações. Rawen tem muitos outros modelos de papercraft interessantes disponíveis e, se você gosta do trabalho dele, considere apoiá-lo comprando um de seus modelos pagos. É uma maneira simpática de demonstrar reconhecimento pelo seu trabalho e incentivá-lo a continuar criando novos projetos e, quem sabe, compartilhando alguns deles gratuitamente com todos nós.

Who you gonna call? This time, all you need is a printer, some paper and a little patience. Build your own miniature Ghostbusters headquarters using the free templates available at Rawen's Patreon page through the link below:

Ghostbusters Headquarters - 1:250 Scale Papercraft Diorama - by Rawen - PR Models

If you enjoy miniature buildings inspired by movies, classic games and urban architecture, here are four more papercraft projects that have already been published here on Papermau and might interest you:

01: Cine Odeon - A Classic 80s Neighborhood Theater Papercraft - by Papermau

02: Riverside Auto Works Garage Papercraft In 1/64 Scale - by Papermau

03: Railroad Tycoon - Fenton Movie Theater Papercraft - by Papermau

04: Customizable Generic Cyberpunk Building Papercraft - by Papermau

Putti Theatre - A Beautiful 19th Century German Paper Theater by Joseph Scholz - via EK Duncan

This beautiful miniature paper theater, known as the Putti Theatre, is a 19th-century German model originally published by Joseph Scholz, a publishing house based in Mainz, Germany. Its facade, decorated with little cherubs and ornamental details, is a charming example of the so-called toy theaters, which enjoyed enormous popularity among children and adults during the 19th century.

The model I am presenting today was digitally restored and adapted by EK Duncan, the artist behind the blog My Fanciful Muse, a real little treasure trove for anyone interested in antique illustrations, engravings, paper toys and other curiosities from the past. In two posts published in February 2013, she presented the original theater sheet, identified as Proscenium No. 301, along with several variations featuring different colors and curtain arrangements.

But the history of these little theaters is just as interesting as the models themselves.

Although miniature theaters had existed in Europe for some time, printed paper theaters began gaining popularity in England around 1811. At the time, going to the theater was one of the great forms of public entertainment, and it was not long before someone came up with the idea of reproducing the actors, scenery and costumes of popular London stage productions on printed sheets of paper.

These sheets were sold in stationery shops and small stores, often located near the theaters themselves. Buyers would cut out the characters, mount the pieces on cardboard and assemble their miniature stages at home. Some sets included curtains, interchangeable scenery and even scripts adapted from the original plays. With a little imagination, it was possible to put on entire performances for family and friends.

A well-known expression from those days was "a penny plain and twopence coloured", meaning one penny for an uncolored sheet and two pence for a colored version. Those who bought the cheaper sheets could paint the characters and scenery themselves, making every little theater slightly different.

The popularity of these toys also followed advances in printing techniques throughout the 19th century. Initially produced using engraved printing plates and often colored by hand, sheets of characters and scenery later benefited from techniques such as lithography and chromolithography, which made it easier to reproduce detailed, colorful illustrations in larger quantities. Thanks to these developments, miniature theaters that once required considerable manual work could reach an increasingly wider audience.

Among the pioneers of this type of publication were William West and John Kilby Green, while one of the best-remembered names is Benjamin Pollock, who helped keep the paper theater tradition alive through his famous London shop in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His name would eventually become associated with Pollock's Toy Museum, dedicated to preserving these toys and other historical curiosities.

The fashion also spread throughout continental Europe, especially Germany, where publishers such as Joseph Scholz and J. F. Schreiber produced beautiful illustrated sheets featuring elaborate theater facades, characters, scenery and accessories. Some of these little theaters were so detailed that they resembled real opera houses in miniature.

Over time, new forms of entertainment gradually reduced the popularity of these toys, but many examples survived thanks to collectors, museums and enthusiasts who continue to preserve and restore the old illustrations.

And that is precisely what makes EK Duncan's work so interesting. Besides recovering historical images, she creates new combinations of colors and decorative elements, allowing these old theaters to come to life once again.

Since the two posts dedicated to the Putti Theatre do not include printable paper characters to accompany the stage, I thought it would be a good idea to gather some of the paper figures I have collected over the years into a single PDF file. They represent different periods, styles and scales and can be used to create miniature scenes and performances. Naturally, depending on the figures you choose, you may need to resize them before printing.

Incidentally, anyone interested in exploring this fascinating world further can simply search Google for "vintage toy theater paper figures". The results reveal a huge variety of websites, illustrations and collections of characters and scenery, including plenty of free materials.

It is curious to think that, long before television, video games and the internet, a little theater made of paper, a few cut-out figures and a bit of imagination were enough to provide hours of entertainment.

Este belo teatro de papel em miniatura, conhecido como Putti Theatre, é um modelo alemão do século XIX, originalmente publicado pela editora Joseph Scholz, de Mainz, na Alemanha. A fachada, decorada com pequenos querubins e detalhes ornamentais, é um exemplo encantador dos chamados toy theaters, ou teatros de brinquedo, que fizeram enorme sucesso entre crianças e adultos durante o século XIX.

O modelo que apresento hoje foi recuperado e adaptado digitalmente por EK Duncan, responsável pelo blog My Fanciful Muse, um verdadeiro pequeno tesouro para quem aprecia ilustrações antigas, gravuras, brinquedos de papel e outras curiosidades do passado. Em duas publicações de fevereiro de 2013, ela apresentou a folha original do teatro, identificada como Proscenium nº 301, além de diferentes versões com cores e cortinas alternativas.

Mas a história desses pequenos teatros é tão interessante quanto os próprios modelos.

Embora já existissem formas de teatro em miniatura na Europa, os teatros de papel impressos começaram a ganhar popularidade na Inglaterra por volta de 1811. Naquela época, o teatro era uma das grandes diversões do público, e não demorou para que alguém tivesse a ideia de reproduzir, em folhas de papel, os atores, cenários e figurinos das peças que faziam sucesso nos palcos de Londres.

As folhas eram vendidas em papelarias e pequenas lojas, muitas vezes próximas aos próprios teatros. Os compradores recortavam os personagens, colavam as peças sobre papelão e montavam seus pequenos palcos em casa. Algumas versões incluíam cortinas, cenários intercambiáveis e até roteiros adaptados das peças originais. Com um pouco de imaginação, era possível organizar verdadeiras apresentações para familiares e amigos.

Uma expressão bastante conhecida daquela época era "a penny plain and twopence coloured", ou seja, um penny pela folha sem colorir e dois pence pela versão colorida. Quem comprava a mais barata podia pintar os personagens e cenários à mão, tornando cada montagem um pouco diferente das demais.

A popularização desses brinquedos também acompanhou os avanços das técnicas de impressão durante o século XIX. Inicialmente produzidas por meio de gravuras e muitas vezes coloridas à mão, as folhas de personagens e cenários passaram a se beneficiar de processos como a litografia e, posteriormente, a cromolitografia, que facilitaram a reprodução de imagens detalhadas e coloridas em maior quantidade. Graças a essas técnicas, pequenos teatros que antes exigiriam muito trabalho artesanal puderam chegar a um público cada vez maior.

Entre os pioneiros desse tipo de publicação estavam William West e John Kilby Green, enquanto um dos nomes mais lembrados é Benjamin Pollock, que manteve viva a tradição dos teatros de papel em sua famosa loja de Londres, entre o final do século XIX e as primeiras décadas do século XX. Seu nome acabaria associado ao Pollock's Toy Museum, dedicado à preservação desses brinquedos e de outras curiosidades históricas.

A moda também se espalhou pela Europa continental, especialmente pela Alemanha, onde editoras como Joseph Scholz e J. F. Schreiber produziram belíssimas folhas ilustradas, com fachadas elaboradas, personagens, cenários e acessórios. Alguns desses pequenos teatros eram tão detalhados que pareciam verdadeiros palcos de ópera em miniatura.

Com o passar do tempo, novas formas de entretenimento acabaram diminuindo a popularidade desses brinquedos, mas muitos sobreviveram graças a colecionadores, museus e entusiastas que continuam preservando e restaurando as antigas ilustrações.

E é justamente isso que torna o trabalho de EK Duncan tão interessante. Além de recuperar imagens históricas, ela cria novas combinações de cores e elementos decorativos, permitindo que esses antigos teatros ganhem vida novamente.

Como nas duas publicações dedicadas ao Putti Theatre não há folhas de personagens para acompanhar o palco, achei por bem reunir em um único arquivo PDF algumas das figuras de papel que tenho guardadas em minha coleção pessoal. São personagens de diferentes épocas, estilos e escalas, que podem ser utilizados para compor pequenas cenas e apresentações. Naturalmente, dependendo das figuras escolhidas, talvez seja necessário ajustar suas dimensões antes da impressão.

Aliás, quem quiser explorar ainda mais esse universo pode fazer uma simples busca no Google por "vintage toy theater paper figures". A pesquisa revela uma enorme variedade de sites, imagens e coleções de personagens e cenários, incluindo muitos materiais gratuitos.

É curioso pensar que, muito antes da televisão, dos videogames e da internet, um pequeno teatro feito de papel, algumas figuras recortadas e um pouco de imaginação eram suficientes para proporcionar horas de diversão.

Below you will find the links to both parts of EK Duncan's Putti Theatre project, featuring the original vintage paper theater and several beautifully restored and recolored versions. I have also included a third link to a PDF from my personal collection, containing paper figures from different periods, styles and scales, so you can add your own characters and bring this little theater to life:

01: Putti Theatre - Cherub Toy Theater - Part 1 - by EK Duncan

02: Putti Theatre - Cherub Toy Theater - Part 2 - by EK Duncan

03: Vintage Toy Theater Paper Figures - A Selection From My Personal Collection - via Papermau

And if you enjoyed this little journey into the fascinating world of vintage paper theaters, below you will find four more paper theater projects previously featured here at Papermau, including two beautiful historical models, a miniature Cinderella theater and an unusual shadow puppet theater:

01: 1880-1920s Paper Theater - A Vintage Paper Model - by Pellerin

02: The Little Match Girl - A Vintage Theater Paper Model - by Alfred Jacobsen - via Sala Lúdica

03: Pocket Theater Papercraft For Kids - Cinderella History - by Erico via Canon

04: TDDK Robot Shadow Puppet Theater Paper Toy - by Salazad