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In Wonderland : A Book of Revolving Pictures.

London: Ernest Nister; New York: E. P. Dutton & Co.; Printed in Bavaria, 1896. 4to [11” x 10.5”], red cloth spine with glossy paper over boards, pictorial upper cover (chromolithograph), plain white lower cover. [19] pp., numerous b&w illus., 8 volvelles with ribbon pulls and chromolithographic illus. Trimmed front panel of original dust wrapper laid in. With early inscription on title page reading “For Gladys Elizabeth Hayes from Jacob Goodrich. August 1st 1897. [?], New Jersey."

A lovely copy of this scarce movable book, consisting of nine poems and eight delightful volvelles featuring kittens, puppies, farm animals and children at play inside and outside. Poems include: In Wonderland, Hide-and-Seek, Three Little Kittens, Snowflakes and Roseleaves, Trit! Trot!, All Aboard, Summer and Winter, Spot, and Afternoon Tea. One reads: “Spot’s my dog, And Spot’s a beauty; Loves his master, Does his duty…” The authors credited are M. and C. Weatherly, F.E. Weatherly, and “C.B.”

Considered one of the greatest makers of movable books, Ernest Nister was based in Nuremburg, a center for toy making in the late nineteenth century, and had offices in London as well. Between 1891 and 1900, the firm produced many children's books and ephemeral items of superior quality in both illustration and printing. “Nister’s major contribution to the field was a large number of ‘dissolving’ picture books—developing further the rather rudimentary items produced by Dean—in which an illustration changed into a completely different scene at the pull of a tab… A good deal of interest in movables in America at the turn of the century was generated by the New York firm of E. P. Dutton, who worked in conjunction with Ernest Nister to promote and sell his titles on their side of the Atlantic… Just as in Europe, these books worked their magic on American children, and today they are also much sought after and collected.”—Haining.

OCLC records just three copies.

REFERENCES: Haining, Peter. Movable Books : an Illustrated History (London, 1979), p. 45 and p. 55.

CONDITION: Good +, an unusually bright and clean copy with minimal wear, lower cover with light spotting and faint soiling, text toned, some leaves beginning to detach, as usual.

Item #6138

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