Capendu Movable - 1890's Miaou Miaou - has 5 movables - one extra than Raphael Tuck edition

Title: Miaou Miaou
Author: [Uncredited]
Publisher: Paris: A. Capendu, ca. 1895
Format: Small quarto (28 x 20 cm); original half cloth binding with color pictorial boards
Pagination: [10] unnumbered pages
Illustrations: Five full-page color lithographed plates with working pull-tab mechanisms; color illustrations throughout
Language: French

Description:
A scarce French movable book featuring five color pull-tab scenes, each with fully functional mechanical parts. This edition is the French counterpart to Raphael Tuck’s Isn’t It Funny, but uniquely includes one additional movable illustration—a charming nursery tableau not present in the English edition. Only one copy located in institutional holdings (WorldCat: McMaster University, Ontario).

Condition:
Very Good. All five pull-tab movables are present, undamaged, and original. Text block reinforced at gutter; no repairs or losses. Binding sound; light handling wear to covers. A lovely, complete survivor of Capendu’s early mechanical productions. See photos for details.

Collector’s Corner

Pierre Delcourt (1852–1931) was a prolific French author whose literary career was born from hardship and persistence. Orphaned at age 21, Delcourt became head of a young family and moved to Paris with just 13 francs. He briefly worked at a police station and later as a reporter under the pseudonym Paul Didier. In 1879, his fortunes shifted when he became secretary to popular novelist Alexis Bouvier, who mentored him. Delcourt’s first published novel, Agence Taboureau (Rouff, 1881), was followed by Ficelle (1882), and his breakout work L'Instruction (Marpon, 1883). He went on to publish widely in newspapers and novels across genres. His first children’s book collaboration, Les Vacances de Baby (1892), was published by Guérin-Muller, whose juvenile publishing line soon merged with A. Capendu. Between 1892 and 1899, Delcourt authored around 200 children’s titles for Capendu, many featuring movable elements. In parallel, he pursued his passions for archaeology and Parisian history, contributing works on adult subjects to other presses.

About the Publisher: A. Capendu
The French publishing house A. Capendu, founded by Alexandre Capendu, operated in Paris from approximately 1890 until the mid-20th century. Located at 3, rue des Haudriettes, the firm succeeded the earlier publisher Guérin-Muller, which Capendu acquired around 1880. Capendu gained recognition for its richly illustrated children's books and was particularly known for its production of movable books under the series Librairie enfantine illustrée.

Two of Capendu’s most prolific authors were Armand Bourgade and Pierre Delcourt, the latter contributing over 200 children’s titles to the firm. Capendu’s movables often featured elaborate paper engineering and chromolithography, reflecting the publisher’s commitment to both visual appeal and interactivity.

By the late 19th century, movable books had become a thriving international genre. Capendu capitalized on this demand, issuing both original titles and adaptations of existing works for the French-speaking market. The publisher frequently collaborated with major international firms such as Schreiber and G. Löwensohn in Germany, and Dean & Son and Raphael Tuck in England. In some cases, Capendu reissued foreign titles in translation, while in others it produced original works inspired by international counterparts.

One noteworthy example of this cross-cultural publishing strategy is Capendu’s French-language edition of The Magic Lantern – Struwwelpeter, originally published in English by Frederick Warne circa 1890.

Due to the layered history of reprints, collaborations, and adaptations, attribution of Capendu titles can be complex. The firm’s output ranges from direct translations to re-illustrated versions and wholly original productions. A comprehensive list of known Capendu movable book titles is planned for future publication to assist collectors and scholars.

Many of Capendu’s movable books from the 1880s and 1890s were localized French editions of titles originally published by Raphael Tuck in England under the “Father Tuck’s Mechanical Series.” These titles were also sometimes printed in Bavaria. French versions include Le Général Po-Pol, La Mère Michel, Les Farces de Gachéon, Miaou-Miaou, Le petit Poucet, Cendrillon, and Histoire de Robinson Crusoé. While the imagery and structure were largely retained, differences in content and movable count can sometimes be observed. Over time, repeated use of the original lithographic stones may have led to visible reductions in image clarity and color fidelity in later print runs.¹

Citation:
"Movable Stationery No. 111." Movable Book Society Newsletter, 2003. https://ia802902.us.archive.org/26/items/movablestation1112003mova/movablestation1112003mova.pdf

References:

Carnoy, Henry. International Biographical Dictionary of Writers. Translated ed. Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlag, 1987.

On Animated Books & Related Topics
Desse, Jacques. “Animated Book.” In Dictionnaire encyclopédique du livre, edited by Pascal Fouché, Daniel Péchoin, and Philippe Schuwer, Vol. 2, 1005. Paris: Cercle de la Librairie, 2011.

Youth and Industrial Literature
Librairie de jeunesse et littérature industrielle au xixe siècle. Paris: Champion, 2006.

Thesis on Animated Books Transformation
Vanbersel, Anouk. “Recreation Pédagogique: Les Transformations Éditoriales et Culturelles du Livre Animé.” Master’s thesis, University, June 2018.

Primary and Archival Sources
National Library of France, Manuscript Department. Cote NAF 23782.
Naudet, Joseph, and Charles Magnin. Plan of a New Classification for the Series in the Catalog of Printed Matter at the National Library. Paris: National Library of France, [date unknown].