Lebende Bilder (Pop-Up Book)
Franz Bonn. Esslingen: J. F. Schreiber, [ca. 1880]. First and only edition. Large quarto (13.4 x 11 inches; 34 x 28 cm, unfolded). Complete with four elaborate three-dimensional theater scenes constructed of five layered chromolithographed panels, plus a working volvelle (rotating disc) on scene 3.
Collation:
[4] mounted chromolithographic pop-up scenes with integrated backing text sheets, joined by original ribbons. Each scene folds flat into the book. Original paste-on chromolithographic cover illustration.
Binding:
Original pictorial boards with large mounted chromolithograph on front cover, rebacked with a later cloth spine. Some edge rubbing and minor scratches to boards. Corners rounded. Boards structurally sound.
Description:
A rare and visually spectacular German “perspective theater” book, combining early paper-engineering with dramatic multi-layered tableaux and narrative text. Issued circa 1880 by the famed Esslingen firm J. F. Schreiber, known for their high-quality chromolithographed children’s books and association with authors like Meggendorfer and Isabella Braun. This edition is attributed to Franz Bonn (1830–1894), a prolific author and German parliamentarian.
The four three-dimensional scenes—The Menagerie, In the Circus, Punch and Judy Theater, and In the Country—rise when lifted by attached ribbons. Scene 3 incorporates a volvelle that reveals rotating characters on stage, including Punch and the Devil, by turning a concealed wheel.
Note on Content:
Scene 1 (The Menagerie) includes a depiction of a Black man in exoticized costume handling a large snake—an image common in 19th-century fantasy scenes, but one that reflects the racial stereotypes of the period.
Condition:
Good to very good. All four scenes complete with all major components present. Original ribbons intact with some staining from use. Spine expertly replaced. Several text sheets and pop-up segments show edge wear, minor tears, and smudging—many have been professionally reinforced on the verso for structural stability. Scene 2 includes a well-executed facsimile replacement of the tightrope-walking girl; Scene 4 features a facsimile swan. All other figures original. The volvelle mechanism in Scene 3 functions properly with a replaced metal rivet. Some figures have small discrete supports added to maintain upright posture. Text is complete and legible with a few mended tears. Despite fragility, this example remains structurally sound, clean, and remarkably complete.
Provenance and Rarity:
No copy located in WorldCat under this title. English translation issued circa 1884 by The International News Company (New York). German version presumed earlier. Rare in any condition, and especially so with original ribbons and working volvelle intact. The visual and mechanical sophistication of this edition ranks it among the most desirable continental European movable books of the 19th century.
Collector’s Corner:
Franz Bonn was born 18 July 1830 in Munich and died 7 July 1894 in Regensburg. He studied jurisprudence at the University of Munich (1846–51), and served as a state attorney in Donauwörth, Ansbach, Bayreuth, and later at the regional court in Munich. In 1880 he joined the princely administration of Thurn and Taxis, ultimately serving as president of the Domänenkammer and director of the civil collegiate court in Regensburg. Bonn also held elected office as a member of the Bavarian Landtag (regional parliament) from 1881 to 1886.
As a prolific literary figure, Bonn published under several pseudonyms — including Franz von Münchberg, Freiherr von Rachwitz, and von Miris — writing juvenile fiction, short stories, drama, opera libretti, and poetry. He contributed humorous natural histories such as Lustige Naturgeschichte (1877) and poetic works to Fliegende Blätter and Münchener Bilderbogen t. His son, Ferdinand Bonn, became a noted actor (1861–1933)
Publishing Context & Collaboration
Parts of Bonn’s literary activity intersected with J. F. Schreiber—an Esslingen-based publishing house renowned for chromolithographed children’s theater books. Bonn’s Lebende Bilder stands alongside other illustrated works by his contemporaries, such as Isabella Braun and Lothar Meggendorfer. The format and mechanics of this title reflect the publisher’s expertise in paper-engineered theater books designed for mid- to upper-class children during the Gründerzeit era
References:
Author Biography – Franz Bonn
Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie. 1903. “Bonn, Franz.” Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, vol. 47, 170–171. Historische Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/sfz5190.html
(Includes birth, education, legal and political career, literary work, and pseudonyms. Notes that Franz Bonn was the father of actor Ferdinand Bonn.)
Publishing Context – Schreiber & German Theater Books
Buijnsters, Piet J., and Leontine Buijnsters-Smets. Papertoys: Speelgoed voor Jongens en Meisjes, 1800–1940. Nijmegen: Vantilt, 2005.
(Provides general background on Schreiber’s output of German paper toys, including pop-up and theater formats.)
Mechanics of the Book (Perspective Theater Books)
Gielen, Theo. “Paper Theaters and Theater Books.” Movable Stationary, no. 38 (August 2007): 1–12.
(Discusses format, structure, and historical examples of perspective-based children’s theater books.)
English Edition Reference
The Menagerie, The Circus, The Puppet Theater and Summer in the Park. New York: The International News Company, ca. 1884.
(Probable English-language edition of Lebende Bilder, based on identical mechanical scenes.)
Rarity and Market Presence
Geisenheyner, Eberhard. Katalog antiquarischer Bilderbücher und Spiele. Wiesbaden: Antiquariat Geisenheyner, various years.
(Lists Lebende Bilder with bibliographic note: “Klotz I, 592,4.” No known institutional holdings recorded.)
Library Holdings Search Tools
WorldCat. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://www.worldcat.org
Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog (KVK). Accessed June 22, 2025. https://kvk.bibliothek.kit.edu
(Used to confirm absence of institutional holdings.)
Wikipedia Entry – Background Only
“Franz Bonn.” Wikipedia. Last modified March 21, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Bonn
(Provides a concise summary of Bonn’s biography, literary work, and family connections.)