Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 10, 2026

Bruce Foster

Bruce Foster is an American paper engineer and graphic designer who specializes in pop-up books. Called a "paper magic master", he has created more than 40 pop-up books for both children and adults, in addition to the pop-up designs that appeared in the 2007 film Enchanted.

Last revised
Jun 10, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
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Wikipedia ↗
Bruce Foster
EducationUniversity of Tennessee1
OccupationsPaper engineer, graphic designer
SpouseLori Stanley
ChildrenNicole, Lydia2
Websitepaperpops.com

Bruce Foster is an American paper engineer and graphic designer who specializes in pop-up books. Called a "paper magic master",3 he has created more than 40 pop-up books for both children and adults, in addition to the pop-up designs that appeared in the 2007 film Enchanted.45

Biography

Foster studied fine and studio arts the University of Tennessee. He spent years in designing trade show graphics and, later, as an ad agency creative director.6

Foster was inspired to learn how to create 3D books after seeing his first pop-up book, Kees Moerbeek's Hot Pursuit: A Forward and Backward Pop-up Book and taught himself by reverse engineering published books. "I destroyed a lot of them trying to figure out how they were done," he said.7

He began a career designing pop-up books as a freelancer for Baltimore book children’s book packager Ottenheimer Publishers.4

Selected bibliography

The following is a sample of the pop-up books paper engineered by Bruce Foster:8

  • Foster, Bruce; Willard, Nancy; Leister, Bryan; Jackson, Bea (1995), Gutenberg's gift, Wild Honey, an Ottenheimer Publishers Company, OCLC 32014043
  • Foster, Bruce; Kee, Lucy; Williamson, Andrew (2010), Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book, Insight Editions, OCLC 555627884
  • Foster, Bruce; Weltevrede, Pieter; Wise, Tad; Beer, Robert (2007), Hindu Altars: A Pop-Up Gallery of Traditional Art & Wisdom, New World Library, OCLC 241301654
  • Foster, Bruce; Berry, Cheree (2006), Hoorah-- for the Bra: A Perky Peek at the History of the Brassiere, Tabori & Chang, OCLC 63660577
  • Foster, Bruce; Rodgers, Richard; Hammerstein, Oscar; Crouse, Russel; Andreasen, Dan; Trapp, Maria Augusta (2009), The Sound of Music: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up, Little Simon, OCLC 180756395
  • Foster, Bruce; Eisner, Will (2008), The Spirit of Will Eisner : a pop-up graphic novel, Insight Editions, OCLC 732882001
  • Foster, Bruce; Havrilesky, Heather; Coulas, Mick (2006), The Pop-Up Book of Celebrity Meltdowns, Melcher Media, OCLC 76805039
  • Foster, Bruce (paper engineer) (2008), Visionaire. 55, Surprise, Visionaire Publishing, OCLC 216939681
  • Foster, Bruce (2009), Wow!: The Pop-Up Book of Sports, Time Inc. Home Entertainment, OCLC 320191002

Exhibitions

Year Title Location Notes
2003 Pop-ups: Art of the Paper Engineer9 The Sharon Arts Center in Peterborough, NH Also included work from David A. Carter, Robert Sabuda
2004 Pop-Up Books: The Art of Paper Engineering,1011 The Museum of Print History, Houston, TX Also included work by Irene Rosenberg
2010 Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop and Turn12 Smithsonian Institution Libraries, National Museum of American History Also included Matthew Reinhart, David Hawcock, Chuck Fischer
References

References

  1. Hoffarth, Tom. ""Wow" con't: A Bruce Foster Q-and-A | Farther Off the Wall". www.insidesocal.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  2. "About | Paperpops". paperpops.com. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  3. Uria, Isabel (May 2010). "Bruce Foster: Why He is a Paper Magic Master". Movable Stationery: The Movable Book Society Newsletter. 18 (2): 1–2.
  4. Bluemel, Nancy; Taylor, Rhonda Lynette Harris (2012). Pop-up books: a guide for teachers and librarians. Libraries Unlimited. pp. 37–39. ISBN 9781591583981. OCLC 758844521.
  5. Trebbi, Jean-Charles; Corkett, Thomas (2012). The art of pop-up: the magical world of three-dimensional books. Hoaki Books SL. pp. 96–97. ISBN 9788492810659. OCLC 828847935.
  6. "Talking Design with 3D Paper Engineer Bruce Foster – Structural Graphics Blog". www.structuralgraphics.com. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  7. "New Pop-Up Books Appeal Not Just to Kids, But Adults Too". Harrisonburg Daily News Record. 4 January 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  8. Montanaro, Ann R (1993). Pop-up and movable books: a bibliography. Scarecrow Press. pp. 549–551. ISBN 0810837285. OCLC 62681468.
  9. "Pop-up Exhibits". Movable Stationery: The Movable Book Society Newsletter. 11 (1): 8. 1 January 1993. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  10. "Exhibits". Movable Stationery: The Movable Book Society Newsletter. 12 (3): 9. August 2004. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  11. Rubin, Ellen G. K. (November 2004). "With a Song in Our Heart: Movable Book Society 5th Conference". Movable Stationery. 12 (4): 8. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  12. "Smithsonian Institution Libraries Unveils "Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop and Turn" | Newsdesk". newsdesk.si.edu. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
External links