David Lister (origami historian)

David Lister (born April 18, 1930, Grimsby, Lincolnshire), died February 13, 2013, was an eminent British origami historian. He was (and still is) widely recognised as the leading global world authority on paper folding.

He was a founder member of the British Origami Society. He wrote the constitution and served as its president from 1998 to 2002.

Early life

Lister was educated at a state school in Grimsby, before going to university at Downing College, Cambridge where he gained a degree in history. After this Lister's professional career was spent as a solicitor in Grimsby. Lister is survived by his three children and six grandchildren.

Origami

Lister was interested in Origami since he was young, but took it up in earnest in 1955 after seeing Robert Harbin on television in the children’s show Mr Left and Mr Right. He corresponded with Lillian Oppenheimer and became a member of the Origami Portfolio Society founded in 1965.. In 1967 he was an inaugural member of the British Origami Society and its first president. During his life he amassed a large library which including 5,000 origami related items. He researched the history of origami and corresponded with most of the founders of modern origami. He became prominent after his retirement when he became increasingly involved in Origami and the British Origami Society. His knowledge of the history was such that he was considered a world authority on the matter and he contributed articles on the history of origami to magazines throughout the world. Other interests included string figures, recreational mathematics, heraldry, and Chinese pottery among other things, he collected numerous books on his various interests amounting to over 25,000 books overall.

External links

• The Lister List - A collection of 115 essays by David Lister.
• Origami History - Contains more writings by David Lister.