Home > Virtual Museum >

SOLD - Celebrations of Christianity - Festtage der Christenheit. Ein Bilderbuch zum Aufstellen - JF Schreiber pop-up pull down tableau book : Edition 1

Very rare J F Schreiber book


 
Alternative Views:


Sold -

Festtage der Christenheit. Ein Bilderbuch zum Aufstellen

(Celebrations Of Christmas - A picture book for setting up)

JF Schreiber - 1892

Three panels with hinged pull down 3 dimensional scenes in color lithograph, 25 x 33,5 cm

The pull down “pop up” scenes show Christmas - “The Adoration of the Magi”, Easter - “The Resurrection” and The Pentecost -“The miracle of Pentecost”

Very rare J F Schreiber book similar to Buffalo Bill, Columbus, and Der Krippe (All viewable on this website)

A beautiful triptych of three pop-up panels depicting three events in the life of Christ which are significant Christian “celebrations” very similar in concept and style to Die Krippe (The Crib) which was published earlier. The first panel depicts the Birth of Jesus (Christmas), the middle panel depicts the Resurrection (Easter) and the final panel depicts the Annunciation (Pentecost).

Condition - Very Good - This rare, desirable book is in excellent condition with all parts original and in perfect working condition. Basically clean, no repairs have been done nor needed. The cover depicts a beautiful nativity scene still clean and bright. The edges show typical shelf wear for a book this old. Tiny hole above the N on cover - see photo. The original red spine cloth is intact in very good condition. There are minor smudges or aging of the panel pulls which when lowered can be arranged into a wonderful 13” X 30” standing triptych. Truly a most desirable and rare collector’s treasure.

It was very interesting to read a very old German language description of the book evidently as useful in the teaching of children from Theologischer Litteratur-Bericht, Volumes 15-16C. Bertelsmann, 1892 – Theology Page 281

Translated from German it reads something like this:

Celebrations of Christianity. A picture book for setting up. Esslingen near Stuttgart, J. F. Schreiber. The book consists of three 33/23 cm, the Christmas, Easter and Pentecost story in good sense realistic representational colorful pictures. Each of the three pictures per se would appropriately be used to illustrate the hard story for children, but it seems a bit disturbing that the three images are related. The children are withdrawn by the sight of the other two. But this can be easily avoided by 'turning down the other folder parts. And so I recommend the portfolio as a means for children to bring festive stories closer. For school and home.

Description of movables:

Scene 1: The Birth of Christ panel consists of four layers. The first, background, shows the manger scene including the Christ Child, Mary, Joseph and a red robed kneeling angel. In the sky a white-robed angles with foot on the manger roof and a shining star are above the manger. A donkey peers over its shed to view the Child. The flaps include shepherds, three Wise Men and finally the back of a seated child and a camel. The only text (German) in the book appears as a brief description of how to carefully pull down the panels and stand them up.

Scene 2: The Resurrection background is subdued in color representing a mountain, the open door to a dark tomb and a distant cross with a “crown” of thorns is shown. Central and largest in the entire panel stands the single figure of a mighty Christ, richly covered in flowing red cloth, rises with outstretched arms. Behind his head appears a golden Nimbus (halo) with three marks. These three marks, or often rays or cross bars, are representative of the Holy Trinity and appear only around the head of Christ or the Holy Ghost. Immediately in front of the risen Christ appears a kneeling angel holding the opened door of the tomb. Across from it a Roman soldier reacts in fear raising his shield and reaching for his spear. The foreground layer depicts the continued fear of the soldiers. One tumbles back while turning his hand against the vision as another hides his eyes in fear. The panel is truly a powerful representation of both the might and the fear of the holy event.

Scene 3: The Annunciation (Pentecost) contains 3 layers depicting the ascension of Christ rising into the heaven in the form of a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit. In a large room eight disciples stand surrounding the figure of a seated Mary. She wears a golden Nimbus (halo) but it lacks the symbolic3 bars of the Trinity nimbus. All the men bear the flame representative of the power or presence of God or the Holy Spirit above their heads. The single central layer is the stately figure of a man holding a large key (probably Peter).The foreground changes the setting with 3 men with the holy flames at top of heads watching as one pours liquid onto the head of a young man. A fourth man stands to the side witnessing what appears to be the performing of a miracle as the boy holds a cane under his arm.

Collectors Corner:

There is another edition of this book with different pull down scenes.
The second book has the following scenes:
'The Adoration of the Magi', 'The Entombment of Christ' and 'The Last Supper'


We have placed photos beside this listing in our Virtual Museum. Both books can be seen at the Virginia Commonwealth University Library in the Betty Tisinger Movable Books Collection.

Collect them all!
We have identified the following Schreiber "pull down" pop-up scenes. Some, such as this one, are so rare that there is very little, if any, information online about them.

Meggendorfer's books
Buffalo Bill
Columbus
Der Krippe
Karl Hagenbecks Tier-Zirkus, nach Skizzen von Fr. Specht (6 fold down scenes 30 x 160 cm)

$2,275.00



Product Code: A-48
Currently Unavailable

Description
 
SOLD