Nister – Little Pets (ca. 1890) – Rare Pop-Up Grotto Book with Four Stand-Up Scenes

Little Pets: Panorama Pictures on View Within (Pop-Up Book)

Ernest Nister, London; E. P. Dutton & Co., New York, [n.d., ca. 1890s]. Printed in Bavaria.

Oblong 4to (8 3/4 x 12 1/4 inches; 22 x 32 cm). Unpaginated [24] pp. Chromolithographed pictorial boards backed in red cloth. Floral endpapers. First edition. No. 634.

Movable Mechanism: Four delightful double-page pop-up scenes in chromolithograph, each constructed as a grotto view. The viewer peers through a die-cut flower-framed opening to a three-dimensional pastoral tableau. When the page is opened, linen hinges stretch to raise the illustrated foreground figures into standing position, creating a richly layered scene with a fixed background.

Contents: Each pop-up is accompanied by accompanying verse or story, along with monochromatic illustrations throughout:

1. Girl with Pet Rabbits: Foreground pop-up of a young girl feeding five rabbits. Behind her, rabbits play near a hutch in a lush green garden.

2. The Black Sheep: Five sheep lie in a grassy meadow. In the background, children lean over a fence observing the scene.

3. My Little Chicks: A girl feeds a group of baby chicks in the foreground. Behind them, a thatched cottage and yard full of chicks set the scene.

4. Farmyard Scene: Two donkeys eat hay from a cart while a cheerful boy with outstretched arms walks forward. In the distance, a farmhouse, barns, and a child feeding pigeons complete the tableau.

Condition: All four pop-up scenes are in fine original condition: bright, complete, and fully functional. Pictorial front cover remains vibrant, depicting a young girl in a riding habit accompanied by two dogs. Light wear to back board with minor scratches and a small water stain. Shelf wear to corners; cloth backstrip intact but shows some edge wear. Original endpapers neatly reinforced at inner gutters. Pages are lightly age-toned with a few small foxing spots. Most pages have been professionally reattached; original staples exhibit minor oxidation. Binding tight. No writing or coloring.