Hide and Seek Pictures (Transformation Book) – Ernest Nister, ca. 1913 – Revolving Mechanical Scenes

E. Nister / E.P. Dutton

Hide and Seek Pictures: A Book of Surprises for the Little Ones (Transformation Book)

London: Ernest Nister; New York: E. P. Dutton, ca. 1913. First and only known edition.

Quarto (245 x 330 mm). 16 pp. Illustrated by G. Henry Thompson. Stories by Constance M. Lowe. Original pictorial paper-covered boards with tan cloth backstrip. All edges tinted red. Bound with original pale blue endpapers. Contains six full-page double transformation plates (revolving pictures) each operated by twin ribbon pulls.

Pictorial front cover features a dynamic nighttime scene of Santa Claus flying through a snowstorm in a sleigh drawn by two reindeer, with a bright full moon illuminating the swirling sky. Toys tumble joyfully from the overloaded sleigh as an owl flies beneath.

This beautifully preserved mechanical book by Ernest Nister uses double-disc rotating mechanisms to animate six distinct transformation scenes. Each features two wheels with each having a ribbon to form changing views, manipulated by pulling silk ribbons. The scenes include:

1. Children on a summers day with a hay wagon

2. Children Enjoying Winter outside

3. Bears getting into mischief

4. Bo-Peep in two moods happy and sad

5. Children inside feeding their teddy bear and cutting its hair

6. Maidens, elves, and fairies

This title is often confused with Nister's earlier 1898 publication also titled Hide and Seek Pictures: A Book of Circling Pictures, which featured eight revolving scenes with rhymes by Clifton Bingham. The present edition is a wholly distinct work, published ca. 1913, with new text by Constance M. Lowe and illustrations by G. Henry Thompson.

Condition: Very Good. All six mechanical transformations are fully functional, complete, and original. Original silk ribbons are present, with only 4 of the twelve expertly replaced. Pages are clean with no writing or coloring, aside from very faint color enhancement to the gollywog character. Expert archival reinforcement along gutter of a few leaves. Binding shows some spine weakness but remains intact. A scarce survival in excellent working order.

We checked WorldCat and related library catalogs, but there are no records of institutional holdings for the 1913 edition Hide and Seek Pictures: A Book of Surprises for the Little Ones. That means this copy appears to be the only known surviving example in library or publicly accessible collections

Collector's Corner:

The Revolving Picture Mechanism Patented by Ernest Nister

The mechanical innovation featured in this book—commonly referred to as a revolving, dissolving, or vanishing picture—originated with Dean & Son, the pioneering English publisher known for mechanical books. As early as 1860, Dean issued The New Book of Dissolving Views, employing early pull-tab and slatted “venetian blind” mechanisms to transform scenes (e.g., War into Peace), laying the conceptual foundation for later developments in movable imagery.

Building on this foundation, Ernest Nister refined and perfected the technique during the 1890s, introducing a more elegant and durable mechanism involving overlapping circular picture discs (volvelles), activated by a silk ribbon. Nister’s design allowed the upper image to “dissolve” via rotation, sliding through a radial slot and revealing a hidden image beneath. This reversible movement created a seamless, almost magical transition between illustrations—highly appealing to children and collectors alike.

In recognition of its novelty and functional integrity, Nister was awarded British Patent No. 10870 in 1899, with a corresponding German patent granted the same year. These patents officially secured his authorship of the revolving picture book format featuring two concentric discs rotated by ribbon—a distinctive evolution in the field of movable books.

Nister’s patented mechanism appears in several other of his celebrated titles besides this one and it's English equivilant " Touch and Go Pctures" , including:

Round Pictures for All Little Folk (ca. 1910, E. P. Dutton & E. Nister, printed in Bavaria; 19.8 × 19.1 cm)

Magic Moments (ca. 1910, Dutton & Nister, London; 28.0 × 26.3 cm)

Twinkling Pictures Ernest Nister / E. P. Dutton and Co. (c. 1899)

Hide and Seek Pictures: A Book of Surprises for the Little Ones Ernest Nister / E. P. Dutton and Co. (c. 1894)

Touch and Go. A Book of Transformation Pictures

Each book typically features six revolving scenes, framed by decorative floral or geometric motifs, and accompanied by short descriptive verse.

References: .

Hunt, Julia. Peeps into Nisterland: A Guide to the Children’s Books of Ernest Nister. Surrey: Casmelda Publishing, 2006. ISBN 9780955216800.

— A collector’s guide documenting both English and German editions of Nister’s movable books, including their bibliographic details and rarity.

JLIS.it. “The Mechanism of the Revolving Picture Book.” Italian Journal of Library, Archives, and Information Science 7, no. 1 (January 2016): 101. doi:10.4403/jlis.it-11610.
— Explains the volvella mechanism used in Nister’s movable books, including examples like Round Pictures for All Little Folk and Magic Moments.