{"id":2054070,"date":"2026-07-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2054070"},"modified":"2026-07-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T21:00:00","slug":"los-angeles-public-library-unveils-the-worlds-largest-pop-up-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2054070","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Public Library Unveils the World\u2019s Largest Pop-Up Book"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/popup-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a daytime scene of a tree on a record-breaking giant pop-up book in the main hall of Los Angeles Public Library\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view of \u2018Luceros y Penumbras.\u2019 Photos by Joshua White \/ JWPictures. All images courtesy of Library Foundation of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Public Library, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Los Angeles Public Library Unveils the World\u2019s Largest Pop-Up Book<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-07-21T09:11:02-05:00\">July 21, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-books\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/books\/\" rel=\"tag\">Books<\/a><a class=\"category-design\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/design\/\" rel=\"tag\">Design<\/a><a class=\"category-history\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/history\/\" rel=\"tag\">History<\/a><a class=\"category-illustration\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/illustration\/\" rel=\"tag\">Illustration<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F07%2Fdaniel-gonzalez-matthew-reinhart-popup-book-los-anglees-library-world-record%2F&amp;title=Los%20Angeles%20Public%20Library%20Unveils%20the%20World%27s%20Largest%20Pop-Up%20Book\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"475981\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The iconic Art Deco architecture of Los Angeles\u2019 Richard J. Riordan Central Library houses more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverlosangeles.com\/things-to-do\/los-angeles-central-library-the-story-of-an-la-icon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10 million items<\/a>, making it the third largest library in the country. The institution also celebrates its centennial this year. So, what better way to ring in a new century of reading and learning than with the largest pop-up book ever created?<\/p>\n<p>Commissioned by the\u00a0Library Foundation of Los Angeles\u00a0in partnership with the\u00a0Los Angeles Public Library, L.A.-based artist and printmaker\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.printgonzalez.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daniel Gonz\u00e1lez<\/a>\u00a0conceived of a monumental ode to knowledge, discovery, and imagination. \u201cLuceros y Penumbres\u201d also nods to the building\u2019s history, taking pride of place in the elegant rotunda surrounded by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbssocal.org\/history-society\/central-library-murals-are-also-80-years-old\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dean Cornwell\u2019s murals<\/a>, which depict California history and were completed in 1933.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/popup.gif\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475981\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/popup.gif\" alt class=\"wp-image-476003\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>With an assist from paper engineer\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.matthewreinhart.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Matthew Reinhart<\/a>, the project even surpassed the previous Guinness World Record for largest pop-up book by spanning approximately 31 by 20 feet when open (the previous record-holder\u2019s dimensions were about 29 by 18 feet). The design rises to more than 11 feet tall, and overall, it weighs nearly a ton. It\u2019s also made from materials customarily used to produce standard books, like fabric, paper, and adhesive.<\/p>\n<p>Gonz\u00e1lez draws on his own memories and associations with Los Angeles and the library\u2019s role as a beacon, the \u201clight of learning.\u201d One of the spreads is centered around a large tree with the city skyline in the background and motifs that represent its diverse cultures, ecology, and traditions. The second depicts the facade of the L.A. Central Library along with the bilingual inclusion of the phrase, \u201cEach person is a library.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLuceros y Penumbres\u201d is on view alongside gems from the library\u2019s Toy Moveable Collection\u2014an archive that consists of more than 2,000 pop-up books and objects\u2014until November 2026.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/popup-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475981\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/popup-4.jpg\" alt=\"two visitors point at a detail on a nighttime scene of a record-breaking giant pop-up book in the main hall of Los Angeles Public Library\" class=\"wp-image-475986\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/popup-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475981\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2347\" height=\"2452\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/popup-1.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of a tree on a record-breaking giant pop-up book in the main hall of Los Angeles Public Library\" class=\"wp-image-475983\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/popup-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475981\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1844\" height=\"2289\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/popup-3.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of a nighttime scene of a record-breaking giant pop-up book in the main hall of Los Angeles Public Library\" class=\"wp-image-475985\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" 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Photos by Joshua White \/ JWPictures. All images courtesy of Library Foundation of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Public Library, shared with permission Los Angeles Public Library Unveils the World\u2019s Largest Pop-Up Book July 21, 2026 BooksDesignHistoryIllustration Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark The iconic Art Deco architecture of Los [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2054070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2054070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054070\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2054070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2054070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2054070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}