Allo! Allo! Bostock – Grand Album d'Animaux Savants
A. Capendu, Editeur, Paris | Text by Mlle Adeline Reynaud
Circa 1900 | Large Format French Movable Book | Six Mechanical Scenes | Very Good Condition
Folio (26 × 38 cm / 10¼ × 15 in). Original color pictorial boards backed in red cloth. Color lithographed title-page followed by six full-page chromolithographed movable scenes, each featuring anthropomorphic animals engaged in humorous and highly animated human activities. Each plate is accompanied by a full page of narrative text with sepia illustrations, printed on the verso of the facing leaf. The mechanical scenes are operated by side pull-tabs with riveted lever systems.
This large-format French movable book from ca. 1900 is a standout example of Capendu’s deluxe mechanical output, distinguished by its strong narrative voice, richly colored lithography, and theatrical staging of scholarly animals "living the good life." The work is attributed to Adeline Reynaud, a prolific author of illustrated children’s books, who here brings a satirical flair to scenes of animal academia, etiquette, and professional ambition.
Condition: All six movable scenes are complete and functioning. Only one mechanical piece—a cow’s leg in the dentist scene—has been expertly restored; all others retain their original parts and tabs. The pull mechanisms remain in good working order, with minor finger smudging and recut tab openings to ease movement. The original cloth spine is intact with minor wear to the crown and a small closed tear at the base. Several pages, including the title and flyleaves, have been reattached using archival linen tape. There are repaired edge tears and light smudging consistent with age, but the original sewing remains largely intact and the book is tightly bound overall.
This copy is in good condition, especially for such a mechanically complex and large-scale production. Its visual humor and narrative charm remain remarkably engaging.
Scene Descriptions (all movable and working):
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Allo! Allo! – Monsieur de Fine-Oreille, a stately elephant, telephones his friend the hippopotamus in preparation for his 80th birthday celebration. With a pull of the tab, his trunk lifts and arm gestures joyfully. The facing text shows him in full dress uniform, sword at his side and medals on his chest.
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La Lecon de Lecture – A feline professor instructs young cats in a classroom. Pulling the tab raises his book-holding arm and shifts the posture of a student caught cheating. The narrative delivers a comical scolding on poor academic habits.
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Un Artiste Original – A donkey painter, Maitre Aliboron, nods and moves his brush arm while painting a cow’s portrait. In the text, he proudly unveils his new invention: a snail-riding system for slow but steady travel.
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La Partie de Billard – A dog and a fox recall old victories while playing billiards. A tab pull animates the cue strike. The text presents tall tales of military service, circus fame, and a dog–cat boxing match.
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La Lecon de Chant – A monkey music teacher disapproves of his goat pupil’s bleating. Pulling the tab moves both teacher and goat in animated discord. The story adds a subplot involving the goat’s mother and a mischievous monkey boy outside her window.
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Le Dentiste – A cow, Monsieur Duveau, sits reluctantly in the dentist’s chair, where a determined horse prepares to pull his tooth. A tab pull lifts the dentist’s arm and jerks the patient’s legs in comic protest. One leg (restored) is a fine facsimile; all other components are original.
Collector’s Corner:
Allo! Allo! Bostock is among the most ambitious French movable books of its period, combining refined lithography with intricate mechanical design. Capendu issued several works by Adeline Reynaud, including Jack l'incorrigible et son chien Puck,