Shadow puppets
The Works of Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Anna Laetitia Barbauld and Lucy Aikin, 1825
When the Portico Library first opened its doors during the Regency period, tracing and cutting silhouettes of friends and family profiles was a popular pastime in Britain.
For Fun & Games: Playtime, past & present, Exhibitions Assistant Apapat Jai-in Glynn invited students from Greenhill Academy in Oldham to transform illustrations from the Library’s collection into their own shadow puppets. Their creations incorporate more than just silhouettes of the characters, combining elements from different books with colourful decorations. They will be on display in the Library throughout the exhibition.
Try making some of your own with friends and family using pages from the Portico activity book and Portico colouring book and share them with us on Facebook (@ThePorticoLibrary), Twitter (@ThePortico) and Instagram (@PorticoLibrary).
“I’ve enjoyed this because you can put anything on it and it can look funny.”
