J. F. Schreiber, ca. 1935
Lustige Zoologie: Ein Verwandlungsbilderbuch
(Funny Zoology: A Transformation Picture Book)
Esslingen: J. F. Schreiber, [circa 1935]. First edition of this printing. Oblong 12mo (7.5 × 5.25 in; 190 × 135 mm). Original pictorial paper-covered boards backed in red cloth; front cover titled "J.F.S. Nr. 65"; plain tan rear cover. [20] leaves, each cut horizontally to form two independently turning flaps (totaling 40 movable slices). Printed in full color; text in German.
A complete and well-preserved example of Schreiber's charming transformation slice book, originally designed by celebrated paper engineer Lothar Meggendorfer in 1901. Each page consists of a humorous zoological caricature split into upper and lower halves, allowing for the creation of fantastical animal combinations by flipping sections. The mechanics are cleanly executed, and the color lithography retains its vibrancy. While this edition dates from the mid-1930s, it retains the original concept and format, with simplified design and production reflecting Schreiber's interwar catalog style.
Condition: Very good. All movable slices complete and fully functional. Light wear to board edges and spine ends; minor chipping to spine cloth; slight warping to boards; occasional faint browning at leaf edges. Binding sound and intact. A bright and engaging survival of a fragile and highly interactive format.
Provenance: Early ownership inscription dated 1936 to front pastedown.
Collector’s Note:
Meggendorfer’s transformation books are celebrated for their mechanical ingenuity and visual wit. Meggendorfer’s slice books are praised in Wilhelminische Zeit as “inexhaustible sources of entertainment”—a testament to the format’s popularity and ingenuity.
Dating this Book:
The front cover’s imprint “J.F.S. Nr. 65” refers to J. F. Schreiber, Esslingen, and is part of the numeric cataloging system that the publisher introduced during the 1930s. Earlier versions of Meggendorfer’s transformation books did not feature this imprint so prominently. The book’s softcover format with cloth-backed spine, its dimensions, and the offset printing style all correspond to Schreiber’s production standards of the 1930s. The lithography lacks the distinctive layered quality of true chromolithography, pointing instead to later offset methods adopted by Schreiber for cost and speed. A dedication on the inside front cover is dated 1936, offering further internal confirmation that the book was in circulation no later than that year.
This edition can be distinguished from the original 1901 edition, which was hardbound, chromolithographed, and lacked the "Nr. 65" imprint
It differs from a Soltau [ca. 1925] edition found in bibliographic records, which carries no Schreiber attribution and may have been unauthorized
It also predates a ca. 1950 advertising version listed by Geisenheyner, which bore the words “Veterinaria, Gesellschaft für Tierarztbedarf in Berlin” and was likely produced for promotional purposes rather than trade distribution
References
Buijnsters, Piet J., and Leontine Buijnsters‑Smets. Papertoys: Speelgoed voor Jongens en Meisjes, 1800–1940. Nijmegen: Vantilt, 2005.
(Discusses slice/transformation book formats and publisher Schreiber’s role.)
Krahé, Hildegard. Lothar Meggendorfers Spielwelt. Vol. 1, p. 87; Vol. 2, pp. 104–108. Munich: Heinrich Hugendubel, 1983.
(Provides bibliographic detail on Meggendorfer’s transformation books, including Lustige Zoologie J.F.S. Nr. 65.)
Ries, Hans. Wilhelminische Zeit, Vol. 55/3, pp. 145, 714. Berlin: Bilderwelt Verlag, 1959.
(Describes Lustige Zoologie as a celebrated transformation book with endless combinatorial literary value.)
Geisenheyner, Eberhard. Auction Catalog Entry for Lustige Zoologie (1901 edition). 1959.
(Lists the original edition under Series 65 with pricing and condition.)
WorldCat. “Lustige Zoologie: Ein Verwandlungsbilderbuch.” Accessed June 22, 2025. https://www.worldcat.org
(Confirms no institutional holdings for the 1930s edition.)
Antikbuch24.de. “J. F. Schreiber Verlag Esslingen.” Accessed June 22, 2025. https://www.antikbuch24.de
(Provides publisher background on Schreiber’s history of mechanical and educational children’s books.)