J.F. Schreiber
Die Krippe: Ein Bilderbuch zum Aufstellen (Pop-Up Nativity Scene)
Esslingen bei Stuttgart, 1893
Oblong quarto (approx. 34 x 28 cm folded; expands to 34 x 60 x 24 cm when displayed). Original publisher’s binding: red cloth spine with chromolithographed pictorial boards, title printed in white on the upper panel. Illustrated by Paul Hermann Wagner.
A striking and elaborate three-dimensional tableau of the Nativity, designed to unfold as a freestanding triptych. The book comprises a continuous panel of chromolithographed cardboard, folded into three sections, each with multiple layers of architectural and figural elements. These cut-out pop-up layers form a richly textured stage-like scene rendered in vivid color and intricate detail. When opened, the left panel depicts shepherds and their flocks within a palm-draped ruin, the center features the Holy Family in a stable surrounded by the ox and donkey, and the right panel includes a richly robed magus on camelback with an angel extending a welcoming hand. A stylized Star of Bethlehem arcs overhead, connecting the scenes with celestial symbolism.
Each panel includes four to six tiers of die-cut elements arranged in depth, creating a highly theatrical composition. The backgrounds incorporate stone arches, lush foliage, and tiled rooftops, with the foreground populated by expressive human and animal figures. Scenes are unified across the triptych by continuous architectural motifs and an ambient golden sky that radiates from the central nativity.
Condition:
Very Good. All parts present and original. All pop-up elements stand freely and correctly, with no tears or losses. One man's head shows a small bend and has been carefully reinforced from behind; one of the three cloth hinges has been professionally and discreetly restored. Covers exhibit light wear at extremities and minor edge bumping. Colors remain vibrant with strong visual impact.
Dating This Book
Two distinct cover variants of Die Krippe: Ein Bilderbuch zum Aufstellen are known to exist, both bearing the same internal triptych format and publisher imprint (J. F. Schreiber in Esslingen bei Stuttgart), but differing in lithographic execution and visual styling.
The earlier variant (circa 1888) features a pale cream cartouche for the title with decorative scrollwork and a muted, matte chromolithographic finish. The illustration is rendered in softer earth tones with less dramatic lighting and no glossy surface treatment. This version aligns more closely with chromolithographic practices typical of the late 1880s, and is referenced in Wegehaupt IV, 1201 and Ries (Illustration, p. 53, note 4) with that approximate date.
The present copy, by contrast, represents the second known variant, likely issued around 1893, based on visual evidence and comparison to Schreiber's production style of the early 1890s. This version retains the same illustrated scene but has a full-image cover without a title cartouche, and uses a deeper, more saturated color palette with enhanced contrast and glossy lithographic overlays. The Gothic title is rendered in vibrant red with a pale shadow effect, consistent with evolving printing trends of the 1890s.
Collector's Corner:
Note on English Edition:
An English-language version titled The Crib: A Picture Book for Standing Up was published circa 1893 by The International News Company of New York (the American News Company’s overseas branch at 83–85 Duane Street). Printed in Germany, this edition reproduces the original German Die Krippe exactly—including the dramatic fold-out triptych structure, layered chromolithographic pop-up mechanisms, and vivid color palette—but with English text and packaging tailored to the British and American holiday markets. The English version is significantly scarcer than its German predecessor and was marketed as one of International News Co.’s “folio-size gift books for children presented in theater style”. An advertisement for The Crib appeared in the back of The Surrender of Margaret Bellarmine: A Fragment by Adeline Sergeant (New York: International News Company, 1895, p. 315). The ad promoted four “folio-size gift books for children presented in theater style”: The Crib, The Columbus Panorama, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, and selections from the Showman’s Series. No other known copy of The Crib is currently available online or recorded in major institutional catalogs, suggesting extreme scarcity in the English edition. A variant edition of The Crib has surfaced bearing the imprint “The A. Riffarth Co., 42 Barclay Street, New York,” a firm described in historical directories as “Church Furnishers, Publishers and Importers.” This company is not to be confused with the German printing house Meisenbach, Riffarth & Co., which specialized in chromolithography. The A. Riffarth Co. appears to have operated independently in New York, serving religious publishing markets. Whether they reissued The Crib or simply distributed overstock from International News Company remains unclear.
It can be seen here : https://www.vintagepopupbooks.com/Die-Krippe-origianl-antique-pop-up-book-The-Cri-p/meg-10.htm
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Die Krippe is one of the finest examples of 19th-century German movable book design. Created by the celebrated illustrator Paul Hermann Wagner and published by the renowned firm of J.F. Schreiber in Esslingen, this title exemplifies Schreiber’s mastery of three-dimensional paper engineering. Known for their theatrical tableaux and movable books, Schreiber books often combined artistry with spiritual or moral lessons.
The title was advertised as early as 1890 in the Fränkisches Volksblatt as “Ein vorzügliches Weihnachtsgeschenk für Kinder” (“An excellent Christmas gift for children”), sold for 3 Marks. The publisher promoted it as “die schönste Zierde unterm Christbaum” (“the most beautiful ornament under the Christmas tree”).
Historical Note:
According to Hildegard Krahé, Die Krippe was published in 1888 and designed by Wagner as part of Schreiber’s growing line of festive and didactic pop-up books. Schreiber would go on to dominate the movable book market in German-speaking Europe until World War I, with Die Krippe remaining one of its most iconic Christmas offerings.
Variant Covers: At least two known cover designs exist for this edition of Die Krippe. One version bears a rare misprint of the publisher’s location as “Ehlingen,” likely representing an early printing or proof state. A later version corrects this to “Esslingen,” with enhanced chromolithographic saturation and title typography. Both covers retain the same base illustration, attributed to Paul Hermann Wagner, though the coloring and detailing differ slightly.
About the Illustrator: Paul Hermann Wagner (1852–1937)
Paul Hermann Wagner was born in Rothenburg, Germany, on January 1, 1852, and died in Kochel am See in 1937. He began his artistic career painting on glass at Josephinenhütte before moving to Munich in 1875 to work as a porcelain painter and enroll at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied under Ludwig von Löfftz and Wilhelm Lindenschmit the Younger, completing his studies by 1881.Renowned for rural landscapes, imaginative childhood scenes, and mythological figures—especially nymphs and fairies—Wagner spent summer months in Kochel am See, where he eventually settled permanently around 1897. While Wagner’s easel paintings and porcelain works reflect characteristic precision and lyricism, his movable-book illustrations remain under-recognized in mainstream art histories. His whimsical visual storytelling and pop-up designs stand as some of the most technically and artistically accomplished German movable books of the late 19th century.
Other Movable Books Produced in Collaboration Between J.F. Schreiber and Paul Hermann Wagner
The following works represent additional movable books created through the collaboration of illustrator Paul Hermann Wagner and the German publisher J.F. Schreiber, Esslingen. Each exemplifies Wagner’s distinctive chromolithographic artistry and mechanical ingenuity:
Im Zoologischen Garten. Mini-Ausgabe. Ein Bilderbuch zum Aufstellen.
Published by J.F. Schreiber, Esslingen & München, ca. 1896; includes 8 chromolithographed plates with multi-tiered stand-up mechanisms.
Die Puppenfee. Ein Bilderbuch für die liebe Jugend.
Shape book published by J.F. Schreiber, Esslingen, ca. 1890; authored by W. Herbert, illustrated by Wagner with a theatrical fairy theme.
Allerneuestes Theaterbilderbuch.
Issued by J.F. Schreiber, Esslingen, 1883; a stage-format movable with 4 pop-up scenes representing the seasons, written by Isabella Braun and illustrated by Wagner.
Grosses Puppentheater. Ein lustiges Bilderbuch mit 10 Original-Lustspielen.
First published by J.F. Schreiber, Esslingen, ca. 1890; includes 6 movable chromolithographed panels by Wagner and additional illustrations by Lothar Meggendorfer.
The Great Punch Theatre. An Amusing Picture Book of Six Plays Acted by Mr. Punch.
Issued by H. Grevel & Co., London, ca. 1897; printed in Germany with cover art and movable panels redrawn by Wagner after C. Häberlin’s original 1864 version, with black-and-white illustrations by Meggendorfer.
Schreiber’s Kindertheater (Children’s Theater Series).
Published by J.F. Schreiber between 1878–1905; a series of 19 text booklets with 18 known hand-colored lithographic double plates, many designed by Wagner for Schreiber’s toy theaters.
Brüderchen und Schwesterchen.
Movable figure sheet produced ca. 1904 by J.F. Schreiber; chromolithographed cut-outs by Paul Wagner for theatrical or paper doll use.
Questions? E-mail us at [email protected]
Refernces:
Geisenheyner, Winfried, ed. Bilderbücher für Kinder, Schule und Haus des Verlages J.F. Schreiber, Esslingen: Sammlung Dr. Stefan Breitschwerdt, Esslingen. Mit einer Einleitung von Dr. Sebastian Schmideler. Bielefeld: Antiquariat Winfried Geisenheyner, Katalog 83, Winter 2014. ( It includes full-color images, publication data, and commentary from Dr. Sebastian Schmideler on Schreiber's publishing history.)
Ries, Klaus. Illustration im Wilhelminischen Bilderbuch 1871–1914 (Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1987), p. 53 note 4, identifies Lothar Meggendorfer’s Die Krippe (1888) and credits Wagner as illustrator.
Whitten, Blair. Paper Toys of the World. Cumberland, OH: Hobby House Press, 1986, pp. 20, 68. (Provides publication context for The Columbus Panorama and supports dating of The Crib.)
Advertisement in Adeline Sergeant, The Surrender of Margaret Bellarmine: A Fragment. New York: International News Company, 1895, p. 315. (Lists The Crib and related titles in International News Co.'s theater-style book catalog.)