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Make Belief of Funny Beasts
(Movable Book)

New York: Pictorial Moving Picture Books, [circa 1919]. Oblong quarto (23.3 x 18.2 cm).
Original half-cloth binding with illustrated paper-covered boards.
[11] pages including four full-page mechanical color illustrations activated by tabs.
Printed in Bavaria.

Condition:
Very Good. A complete and original copy of this scarce title. All four movable plates are present, fully functional, and free of tears or missing parts. Minor bends noted to some moving pieces, but the mechanics remain sound. Interior pages are clean with only minor wear; a few small closed tears appear on non-movable text pages, as shown in photos. Boards are bright, lightly rubbed with age-appropriate wear. The binding remains firm, though staples have rusted and are detached or nearly detached from the movable plates, which are now loose or nearly loose.

Collector's Corner:

Make Belief of Funny Beasts is one of the most elusive titles from the Pictorial Moving Picture Books series, a group of mechanically animated children’s books issued without credited author or illustrator but marketed through various U.S. imprints, including the New York Book Company and the Pictorial Color Book Company. All titles in the series were printed in Bavaria and imported to the United States, often with slight changes in publisher name or imprint.

For more books in this rare and imaginative series, see our other listings. We also welcome inquiries at [email protected].