Kubasta, Vojtech (illustrator). Marco Poco. London: Bancroft & Co. Ltd., [circa 1962]. First edition. Folio (12 3/4 x 9 inches; 324 x 227 mm). Original color pictorial stiff card wrappers backed in tan cloth. [8] pages, including one large double-page color pop-up. Issued without title page. Text in English. Printed in Czechoslovakia by ARTIA.
Scarce first edition of Kubasta’s Marco Poco, a visually striking example from his celebrated Panascopic Model Book series. Brief text leads into a spectacular full-color pop-up spread featuring an elephant caravan crossing the landscape in elaborate procession. At center is Kublai Khan in a palanquin, led by a richly dressed elephant, a regal tiger, and flanked by mounted hunters with bows and spears. This pop-up includes the original red silk cord linking the elephants—often missing.
Condition: Fine. Exceptionally well-preserved and unused. Bright, unfaded boards. Pop-up complete, functional, and pristine. Still housed in the original unopened plastic packaging, complete with attached hanging tag and advertising insert for other Kubasta titles. Plastic bag has been cleanly slit along one side for inspection but remains intact and crisp.
Collector’s Corner: Listed as Rubin #76 in Pop-ups, Illustrated Books, and Graphic Designs of Czech Artist and Paper Engineer, Vojtech Kubasta (1914–1992) by James A. Findlay and Ellen G. K. Rubin.