Reilly & Lee Co. (also known as Reilly & Britton Co.), Chicago
The Story of Little Black Sambo (Movable Book – Fold-A-Way Edition)
16 numbered pages printed on thick cardstock, each pairing one text page on the left with a corresponding figure plate on the right. Of these, all pages have been cut; 24 of the original stand-up figures survive loose (folded double-sided, designed to stand unaided). The original scenic tri-fold backdrop, printed on the inside of the rear cover, is present but detached. The reverse of the front cover bears a printed letter to children from designer Will Pente. Original color pictorial wrappers, string-bound. Illustrated throughout in color by Helen A. Haselton. Designed by Will Pente. All double layer pieces are printed in color on one side, intended for cutting out and stood up.
Light toning and minor edgewear; a pencil inscription to the interior panel.
The interior of this 1917 Fold-A-Way edition of The Story of Little Black Sambo opens with a printed message from designer Will Pente. In a friendly, instructional tone, Pente addresses young readers directly, explaining the interactive features of the book and how to assemble the movable figures.
Collector's Corner:
This early American movable book is part of the Fold-A-Way Toy series created and patented by Will Pente. The format was marketed in 1917 by Reilly & Lee Co. (previously known as Reilly & Britton Co.), the same Chicago publishing house best known for issuing L. Frank Baum's Oz books. Fold-A-Way books were promoted as an "absolutely new idea" that allowed children to act out stories using reusable stand-up figures rather than discarding pages after cutting.
According to Publishers Weekly (Vol. 92, 1917), the books were praised for their educational and entertainment value: "Neither paste nor easel is required... all of the book is put to use, even the covers, which form trunks, houses, tablecloths, or scene backgrounds." Similarly, Bookseller & Stationer (1918) described them as a clever and inexpensive amusement: "The toys can be handled and played with after they are made."
These books were patented in 1917. Catalogue of Copyright Entries: Pamphlets, Leaflets, Contributions to Newspapers or Periodicals, etc. Volume 14, Issue 1, page 11716, lists the copyright for Fold-A-Way books as April 12, 1917.
Peter Rabbit and Little Black Sambo were the first two books issued in the Fold-A-Way Toy series. The officially advertised Fold-A-Way titles in 1917 were:
"Dolly Blossom’s Bungalow"
"Dolly’s Breakfast"
"Little Black Sambo"
"Dolly Blossom and Her Wardrobe"
"The Story of Peter Rabbit" ( see it here https://www.vintagepopupbooks.com/peter-rabbit-foldaway-edition-book-with-cutout-fig-p/m-133b.htm )
Note: Pente would later create and copyright a boxed paper theater set in the 1930s titled Fold-A-Way Miniature Theatre (copyrighted Nov. 15, 1932). The present work predates that version and was not sold as part of a boxed collection.
Rarity :
The 1917 Fold-A-Way edition of The Story of Little Black Sambo is scarce, especially complete and with all movable elements intact. It showcases early paper engineering and children’s interactivity while also reflecting the complicated legacy of unauthorized adaptations in early American publishing. No other copies currently located in institutional holdings or on the market.
Contextual Note:
Reilly & Lee Co. was among the first U.S. publishers to produce pirated versions of Helen Bannerman’s Little Black Sambo.
As detailed by Theresa Griffin Kennedy in Lost Restaurants of Portland, Oregon (2022), page 101:
"The Reilly & Lee Company of Chicago, also known as the Reilly & Britton Company... in its 1908 pirated edition of Sambo, the artist was a man named John R. Neill... [It was] his exaggerated and offensive illustrations that were typical of many such images of the Sambo’s story that became objectionable to African Americans and white Americans as well... The pirated editions were used without the legal permission of the original publisher, Grant Richards of London, England, or of any surviving family of Helen Bannerman."
Although the Fold-A-Way edition is illustrated by Helen A. Haselton and not Neill, it belongs to the same commercial tradition of exploiting Bannerman’s story without authorization—adding layers of caricature and commodification that were common in the early 20th century.
Content Advisory:
This book includes racially stereotyped imagery and language that is now widely recognized as offensive. It is presented here for its historical significance in the context of children’s literature, mechanical book design, and cultural history. These depictions do not reflect the views of the seller, and are included with full acknowledgment of their legacy within systemic racism.
References:
U.S. Copyright Office. Catalogue of Copyright Entries: Pamphlets, Leaflets, Etc., Vol. 14, Part 1 (1917), p. 11716.
Pente’s toy patents and theatrical playbooks are discussed in trade journals such as Bookseller & Stationer (1918).
No institutional holdings for this exact edition recorded in OCLC or WorldCat as of 2025.