Hi all, We will not have David Lister and his dissertations about paper folding history. He always had an answer to clarify a concept or any historical moment discussed on the list or privately with him.
In 2010, I asked him to send me a short self-biography which I include below. I translated it into Spanish to be publish in a blog. I hope you like it. Good luck, Jose Tomas Buitrago WHO IS DAVID LISTER? I was born on 18th April, 1930, in Grimsby, then a large fishing port on the east coast of England on the south side of the estuary of the River Humber. I was educated at local schools and was then an undergraducate at Downing College in the University of Cambridge, where I studied history (mainly British Constiutional History) for two years and then English law for one year. Returning to Grimsby I joined a local firm of solicitors (lawyers) as an articled clerk (apprentice) and qualified as a solicitor in September, 1956. In the same month I married Margaret whom I had known all my life. We now have three children, a girl and two boys, all grown up and married and we have six grandchildren. aged from eighteen months to 20 years old. In 1956 I became an assistant solicitor in the same firm and became a partner in 1962. I remained in the same firm until I retired in April, 1990. I learnt a few traditional paperfolding models from my father and one or two other people. I was particularly attracted to paperfolding without cutting and began to collect examples of folds. At the time I was unable to find any books about the subject. In 1953 I met a young many who was able to teach me how to fold th Chinese Junk and I made step folds of the model. This reignited my interest in folding and I began again to search for books on the subject. However, it was not until April, 1956 that I found “The Art of Chinese Paperflding” by Maying Soong. Two years later I found Robert Harbin’s “Paper Magic” in a local shop and then one of two book in English by Isao Honda. Eventually I wrote to Robert Harbin and received an encouraging reply. In 1963, Sam Randlett’s “The Art of Origami” became available in England. I then wrote to Lillian Oppenheimer in New York and started corresponding with her. I also bought a number of books about paperfolding from her and subscribed to The Origamian. In 1964 Lillian Oppenheimer sent Iris Walker, who lived (and still lives) at Hull on the other side of the River Humber, to sixteen people from England who were in touch with the Origami Center. I immediately replied. It was from this group that the Origami Portfolio Society was formed by Sidney French in August 1965. Lillian Oppenheimer’s daughter, Rosaly Evnine lived in London and every year Lillian flew across the Atlantic to visit her daughter and grandchildren.. In April, 1966, Rosaly invited the members of the Origami Portfolio Society to visit her home to meet Lillian. In this way the members of the Origami Portfolio Society came to meet each other. They also met Lillian Oppenheimer and Robert Harbin, who had also been invited. The group met again at Rosaly’s home the following year, when Lillian again visited her daughter. At this second meeting, it was suggested that a formal paperfolding society should be founded.. During the summer, Sidney French, Eric Kenneway, John Smith and I drew up a draft constitution. Sidney French called a meeting to form the Society, the following September at the Russell Hotel in London.. Here it was agreed to form the British Origami Society. From this the Society gradually grew in both numbers and in activities. Sidney French became the Chairman and I became a member of the Council. I replaced Sidney as Chairman after about three years. Then John French took ove, while. I remained a member of the Council and acted as a general and legal adviser, working closely with John Smith. I remained on the Council for many years. Eventually I was made a Vice-President and continued attending Council Meetings in this capacity until about 1997.when I began to find it difficult. to travel. For two or three years spring meetings of the Society continued to be held at Rosaly Evnine’s home until the Society became too large to meet there. The spring meetings were the held at the Vienna Café, off Baker Street in London. They were later held in various hotels in London and became residential meetings. It was suggested that ther should also be meetings in the autumn and for many years these took place at the Cobden Hotel in Birmingham. I made a point of attending all the spring and autumn meetings or conventions as we called them, not missing one until autumn 1996.. I have also attended many meetings abroad, especially in Germany and Italy. I also attended the Second Meeting of Scientific Origami at Otsu in Japan in 1994. In May, 2000, I visited Kyoto, Japan at the invitation of Akira Yoshizawa. I was fortunate to meet Mr. Yoshizawa on many occasions and also corresponded with him. On each of my visits to Japan I was also able to meet Mr. Yoshihide Momotani and Mrs, Sumiko Momotani, with whom I have corresponded for many years.. I attended the New York Conventions in 1995 and 1997.I also attended the West Coast Origami Meeting in San Francisco, in 1997. In the 1990s I was a member of the private magazine, FOLD, for which I wrote several long articles about paperfolding, only a few of which have been published elsewhere. I have written many postings to the Internet origami group, Origami-L and many of these pieces have been posted on the British Origami Society web site. I hope to add many other pieces and longer articles. I have many other interests apart from origami. They include art and architecture, natural history, recreational mathematics, astronomy, heraldry and flags, the history of playing cards, knots, Arthurian history an legend, knots and string figures and mazes and labyrinths. Whatever my interests, I buy books about them and have a large private library which is a very useful resource. In 1999 I suffered a sprain in my leg and have not been able to travel very well. So I have missed two conventions of the British Origami Society and have not been able to travel to conventions abroad. Nevertheless, I am still deeply interested in all aspects of paperfolding and spend much time corresponding with other paperfolders on the Internet. David Lister. 13th April, 2010
