J. F. Schreiber (Publisher)
Das Puppenhaus. Eine Festgabe für Brave Kinder (Pop-Up Panorama Book)
Esslingen bei Stuttgart: J. F. Schreiber, [ca. 1910]. Later edition. Oblong quarto (10 1/4 x 8 1/2"; 26.5 x 21.5 cm). Original glazed color pictorial boards, red cloth hinges. Bound accordion-style with six pop-up diorama scenes. Complete with original publisher’s board slipcase and printed label.
Condition: Near fine. The entire panorama is complete, clean, and structurally sound, with bright chromolithography and well-preserved pop-up mechanics. Only the shop scene has well done restorations: the overhang above the counter has been replaced, and two barrels on the right-hand wall are restored replacements. The slipcase is in excellent condition with a watermark visible on the back (see photos). An unusually well-preserved example of this delicate and intricate construction. : Publisher’s original heavy card slipcase with thumb notch and printed paper label to upper panel reading: Meggendorfer, Puppenhaus. Verlag von J. F. Schreiber, Esslingen. The case shows only minor wear, with light age toning and faint handling marks. A water stain is visible on the reverse side (see photos). Exceptionally well-preserved for such a fragile and seldom-surviving element.
Description: Designed by the famed Lothar Meggendorfer, Das Puppenhaus (The Doll’s House) unfolds into an elaborate four-foot panorama of six interconnected scenes. Originally issued in 1889 as a celebration gift “für brave Mädchen” (for good girls), this later ca. 1910 issue retains Meggendorfer’s original concept while updating select details for a new generation of readers.
The book includes two outdoor scenes and four interior rooms, all with delightful pop-up figures and working architectural elements. Unlike most German dollhouses of the time, which depicted upper-class households, Meggendorfer’s version highlights the daily life of a modest suburban Munich family. The entire structure folds flat when closed and easily unfolds into a freestanding dollhouse display measuring approximately 132 cm wide when open.
Scene Descriptions:
Street Corner Scene – A two-sided exterior corner showing the façades of two houses. On the left side, the original 1889 version featured a gypsy horse-drawn cart, which was later updated—after the turn of the century—with a modern horseless carriage (automobile), as seen in this example. Between this exterior view and the adjacent shop is a swinging door and a glassine-style window allowing a peek into the public portion of the house.
The Shop – A three-sided grocer’s scene with an opening door and a window. The central figure is a pop-up shopkeeper (and his wife) standing behind a counter. In front is a woman with her small child and a dog. The right-hand wall features three pop-up barrels and another door. The part over the counter and two of the barrels are restored.
The Parlor – A three-sided wood-paneled living room with a pop-up dining table, seated women (one holding a child), and a piano. A bust of Beethoven rests atop the piano, and a young boy is seated at the keyboard. Both side walls have opening doors.
The Kitchen – A cozy domestic scene with a mother, daughter, and cat among cabinetry, stove, desk, bin, and wash basket. The central figures and several furnishings are fully dimensional.
The Backyard – A two-sided courtyard with a mother (head replaced) and child feeding birds near a decorative fence. A dog and three chickens complete the tableau. Includes an opening door.
Dimensions: Closed, 26.5 x 21.5 cm. Fully extended, 132 cm wide and 21.5 cm tall and deep.
Collector’s Corner:
A space-saving dollhouse that would take you anywhere, build at any place and fold back into a flat book in no time—something like that had never existed before! — Krahé, Spielwelt, p. 74.
First conceptualized in the late 1880s and published in multiple languages (German, English, and French), Das Puppenhaus represents one of Meggendorfer’s most innovative achievements in movable book design.