BOLLE, D.
Als de Dieren konden Spreken! [If Animals Could Talk!] (Movable Book).
Rotterdam: D. Bolle, 1917. First Dutch edition. Quarto (25.5 × 20.5 cm). [10] pp. Four full-page chromolithographed movable plates with pull-tabs, six additional chromolithographed text pages. Original thread sewing.
Original pictorial paper-covered boards, upper cover with mounted chromolithographed illustration, lower cover plain. Spine later reinforced with plain paper. Covers re-attached; fold lines internally reinforced. Small tear to upper cover illustration at joint, with light tape reinforcement not affecting image; minor loss to upper corner of lower cover. Original sewing intact. A few small areas of nearly invisible clear tape.
Very good. Plates bright and complete, all pull-tabs present, clean, and fully functional. Pages evenly toned, with minor reinforcement along a few folds. No restoration to movable plates.
Scarce Dutch movable issued by D. Bolle of Rotterdam, reproducing four mechanical scenes adapted from Raphael Tuck & Sons’ Fun in the Forest (London, ca. 1909–1916), as recorded in the Movable Book Society’s index of Tuck mechanicals. The plates are identical to those in Tuck’s edition; the text and cover design were newly prepared for the Dutch market. A French edition, Les Bêtes entre Elles! (Paris: A. Capendu, n.d.), also shares the same plates.
Description:
This edition includes ten pages total—six narrative text pages with charming illustrations, and four dramatic movable scenes, each rendered in rich chromolithography. The movable illustrations are notable for their expressive animals, narrative depth, and precise engineering. The scenes include:
The Reading Lesson – A monkey attempts to teach a rhinoceros to read. Initially frustrated, the monkey discovers his pupil is sincere and becomes a willing teacher.
The Fox and the Lion – A fox carefully grooms the lion, giving him a haircut with dignity.
Movable 1: Singer and the Lion – A traveling minstrel named Sambo, trembling with fear, offers to sing to a lion to save his life. The lion, not hungry, agrees. Sambo rocks gently while the lion moves his eyes and opens his mouth. (This scene includes a racial caricature consistent with 1910s imagery; while typical of its period, it is offensive by modern standards and included here for bibliographic completeness.)
The Sick Hippo – Dr. Langeen examines a gluttonous hippo, recommending a 14-day fast and a dental visit, which the hippo finds too expensive.
The Solid Swing – An elephant swings a young child while the elephant mother looks on proudly, trusting the swing’s strength.
The Polite Crocodile – A monkey converses with a smiling crocodile, who warns him politely not to come too close to his teeth.
Movable 2: Terrified Monkeys – A tiger lifts its head from the underbrush, startling a group of monkeys. One leaps up a tree while others flee in panic.
Movable 3: Disobedience Punished – A stern lion disciplines two cubs who have misbehaved, reinforcing the theme of consequences.
Movable 4: Sleep, Baby, Sleep! – Subtitled Tricky Little Ones, the scene depicts two distraught lion parents: one rocks a howling cub while the others shout in a basket.
The Bees – A closing image shows neatly tended hives, with the farmer anticipating a rich harvest of honey.
Collector's Corner: About the Publisher: D. Bolle (Rotterdam)
Bolle Movable and Novelty Publications
The Rotterdam publisher P.D. Bolle (1841-1913), best known for his “Bazaar van goedkoope boeken,” was a significant presence in the Dutch movable and novelty book market from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. His publishing strategy often centered on acquiring rights, plates, or stock from other publishers—especially those going out of business—and reissuing foreign designs for the Netherlands. Many of his movable titles were adaptations of English and German originals, most notably the works of Raphael Tuck & Sons. Unlike some publishers who merely pasted Dutch text over English plates, Bolle often reset the text entirely for Dutch editions printed in Rotterdam, sometimes resulting in typographic layouts that differ subtly from the original Raphael Tuck versions. The movable plates here correspond directly to those used in the English edition, while the Dutch text and cover design were newly prepared for the local market, likely through complete typographic resetting rather than simple overprinting.
Bolle’s position as a low-cost mass-market publisher strongly suggests that economy of production played a significant role in his movable-book reissues. Contemporary commentators and later scholars have contrasted the comparatively luxurious production standards of publishers such as Raphael Tuck & Sons with Bolle’s more economical Dutch adaptations. Theo Gielen, for example, described Bolle’s 1888 Het Sprekend Prentenboek as a ‘less refined production’ than the original German edition. Likewise, surviving Bolle reissues of Tuck-derived movables often appear less elaborate in materials and finishing than their English counterparts, consistent with the publisher’s identity as the proprietor of the Bazaar van goedkoope boeken (‘Bazaar of Cheap Books’).
Bolle’s earliest documented novelty appeared in 1888, when he issued Het Sprekend Prentenboek (The Speaking Picture Book), a Dutch adaptation of the celebrated German Das Sprechende Bilderbuch by Theodor Brand of Sonneberg. Bolle acquired the title from Sijthoff of Leiden, who had issued it the previous year. The Dutch version retained the mechanical function of the original—pull-cords producing animal sounds—but was considered a less refined production than the German edition.
By the 1890s, Bolle’s “Bazaar” was well established as a buyer of remaindered and second-hand stock, including large collections of movable titles. According to Lust en Leering (DBNL), by around 1895 his catalogue already featured Mijn Prettigste Boek and Als de Dieren konden Spreken!—both drawn directly from Raphael Tuck & Sons designs—as well as Een daagje in ’t bosch, an oblong quarto panorama adapted from Tuck’s A Day in the Forest: To Myrtle Grove Farm. The Dutch edition followed the panoramic fold-out format with three double-page pop-up scenes, closely mirroring its English source. These three titles illustrate Bolle’s tendency to reissue proven foreign novelties for Dutch readers. Although Bolle’s 1895 programme listed nine movable and novelty books, only one appears to have been newly issued that year; the remainder were probably acquired stock or projects that never reached print.
After 1900, Bolle further expanded his list through strategic acquisition, purchasing six movable or novelty titles from the Haarlem publisher I. de Haan when that firm closed. While the specific titles have not been identified, de Haan’s catalogue suggests they were likely reissues of Dean & Son or Raphael Tuck designs, perhaps with minor adaptations for the Dutch market. From October 1901, he began issuing reprints under his own imprint, demonstrating his role as a remainder specialist within the Dutch book trade. Because De Haan had worked extensively with the Haarlem lithographic firm Emrik & Binger, Bolle’s acquisitions likely involved not only unsold stock but also reusable artwork, printing materials, or reproduction rights associated with these publications. Such transfers were common within the late nineteenth century Dutch book trade and allowed publishers like Bolle to continue issuing inexpensive movable and novelty books without bearing the full expense of newly commissioned illustration programs.
A major relaunch occurred in late 1917, when Bolle advertised a new series titled Prentenboek met Beweegbare Platen in the Provinciale Overijsselsche en Zwolsche Courant on 29 November. The advertisement listed four titles: Voor Blondjes en Zwartjes, Twee Goede Vrienden, Mijn Prettigste Boek, and Als de Dieren konden Spreken! The latter two were reprints of Bolle’s 1890s adaptations of Raphael Tuck works, while Voor Blondjes en Zwartjes and Twee Goede Vrienden have not yet been definitively traced to their origins. Their chromolithographic style, page layout, and mechanical construction, however, strongly suggest connections to either Tuck or similar German productions of the period.
Available at https://www.vintagepopupbooks.com/Dutch-Movable-Book-c-1913-TWEE-GOEDE-VRIENDEN-p/a-36.htm
In 1923, Bolle reprinted Mijn Prettigste Boek and Als de Dieren konden Spreken! under the same Prentenboek met Beweegbare Platen series, ensuring their continued presence in the Dutch market well into the interwar years.
From his 1888 Het Sprekend Prentenboek to the 1923 reprints, D. Bolle’s movable book output shows a clear and consistent strategy: identify proven international designs, adapt them for local audiences, and keep them in circulation through periodic relaunches. His imprint stands as a vivid example of how movable book publishing in the Netherlands was deeply connected to the wider European novelty trade.
Biography of the Bolle Publishing House
Cornelis Arrenberg had operated a Dutch and French reading library at Noordblaak in Rotterdam since around 1820. When he died in 1853, Daniel Bolle—who had worked for Arrenberg for over twenty years—took over the business. The original premises were listed under several addresses over time, and under Bolle’s management the reading library was expanded into a full-scale bookstore. He later developed the business into a large-scale publishing enterprise. Records indicate that as early as the first half of the 19th century, a D. Bolle, likely Daniel’s father, was already active as a publisher.
In 1880, the firm moved to Hang 98, near Zeevischstraat. After Daniel Bolle’s death in 1887, the business passed primarily into the hands of his sons Pieter Daniel Bolle (1841–1913) and Daniel Manter Pierre Bolle (1862–1920), resulting for a time in two related but distinct Bolle publishing firms operating concurrently under the names P.D. Bolle and D. Bolle. The business promoted itself as “the Netherlands’ cheapest bookstore” and became widely known as the “Bazaar of Cheap Books.”
P.D. Bolle maintained premises at various Rotterdam addresses over the decades, including Eendrachtsstraat, Jacobusstraat, and O. Binnenweg, before eventually settling at Franschelaan. Pieter Daniel was succeeded by his son of the same name, who sold the business in 1968. Under new ownership it continued as Boekhandel Van Buren.
Following the sale of the business in 1968, the bookstore continued under the Van Buren family at Franschelaan in Rotterdam. Local recollections describe the shop—still remembered simply as “Bolle” by older residents—as a traditional neighborhood bookstore run by the “old Mr. Bolle,” and remembered by some as somewhat gruff in manner. During the 1960s, the shop reportedly still maintained a small lending-library service where books could be borrowed for a few cents, while also selling toys, magazines, office supplies, and other everyday goods. Under the Van Buren family, the premises were modernized while preserving the long-standing neighborhood bookstore tradition that had originated under the Bolle enterprise in the nineteenth century.
References
“Als de Dieren konden Spreken.” Provinciale Overijsselsche en Zwolsche Courant (Zwolle), November 29, 1917. KB Resolver
(Dutch newspaper advertisement confirming titles issued within D. Bolle’s “Prentenboek met Beweegbare Platen” series.)
Buijnsters, Piet J., and Leontine Buijnsters-Smets. Lust en Leering: Geschiedenis van het Nederlandse Kinderboek in de Negentiende Eeuw. Nijmegen: Vantilt, 2001. Specifically chapter 22, “Beweegbare boeken en andere bijzondere boekvormen.” DBNL Edition
(Discusses D. Bolle’s movable-book acquisitions, Tuck-derived titles, and 1917/1923 reissues.)
Buijnsters, Piet J., and Leontine Buijnsters-Smets. Papertoys: Speelgoed voor Jongens en Meisjes, 1800–1940. Nijmegen: Vantilt, 2005.
(Historical survey of Dutch paper toys, movable prints, and novelty publishers.)
Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren (DBNL). “D. Bolle, uitgever.” Accessed August 7, 2025. DBNL
(Biographical overview and bibliography relating to D. Bolle’s publishing activities.)
Gielen, Theo. “Paper Theaters and Theater Books.” Movable Stationery 15, no. 3 (August 2007): 1–12.
(Includes discussion of D. Bolle’s movable-book adaptations, acquisitions, and international novelty-book connections.)
LastDodo. “D. Bolle uitgever.” Accessed June 22, 2025. LastDodo
(Collector database documenting D. Bolle’s movable and novelty publications.)
“Les Bêtes entre Elles!” Catalogue Collectif de France (CCFr). Accessed June 22, 2025. CCFr
(French-language edition associated with the same movable plates used in Raphael Tuck and D. Bolle editions.)
Movable Book Society. “Fun in the Forest.” In Raphael Tuck & Sons Movables: A Chronological Index. Accessed June 22, 2025. Movable Book Society
(Reference source for Raphael Tuck movable books and their international derivatives.)
“Oud Mathenesse.” GINK Rotterdam Local History Archive Accessed May 11, 2026.
(Local-history recollections concerning the Bolle and Van Buren bookstores on Franselaan in Rotterdam.)
“Bolle.” Boekhandelsetiketjes Blogspot Accessed May 11, 2026.
(Historical overview of the Bolle publishing and bookselling enterprises in Rotterdam.)
“Fun in the Forest.” WorldCat. Accessed June 22, 2025. WorldCat
(Catalog records for Raphael Tuck’s English-language movable editions.)