Movable Book En Automovil circa: 1900 Rare Spanish edition of "A Trip To The Moon"

En Automóvil Libro móvil antiguo

Rare Spanish-language edition of Voyage Extraordinaire de Mr. Tramontane (French) and A Trip to the Moon (English)
[No publisher, no place, ca. 1914]. 4to (280 x 210 mm / 11 x 8 1/4 inches).
[10] pp., including 6 sepia-toned letterpress text pages and 4 full-color chromolithographed tab-operated movable plates.

A highly unusual and unrecorded Spanish-language version of this imaginative lunar voyage tale, originally published in French by Capendu as Voyage Extraordinaire de Mr. Tramontane and in English as A Trip to the Moon. This edition recounts the fantastical journey of Mr. Tramontane and Mr. Giggins as they travel to the moon in an elaborately styled automobile—a playful cross between science fiction and belle époque elegance. While the original French edition contained five movable plates, this Spanish-language version includes four and was published without a title page or publisher’s imprint, suggesting a small or localized print run. The chromolithographed mechanical scenes are operated by pull-tabs, each revealing a transformation or action integral to the story’s whimsical narrative arc.

Condition:
A very good, complete copy in remarkable condition for a fragile early 20th-century movable book. All four movable plates are present and fully functional, with no loss or repair, and the interactive mechanisms remain in excellent working order. Minor edge wear to the binding, and two small closed tears to the edge of one movable plate, neither affecting the action of the movable parts. Original pictorial covers still attached and binding secure. A neat early ownership inscription appears on the front pastedown: “Grandma Bruner.” No writing or coloring to the contents. Please refer to the accompanying photographs for a detailed view of the condition.

Books of this type in Spanish are especially rare, as movable books in the Spanish-speaking world were produced in far smaller numbers than those issued in Germany, France, or England. The absence of publisher information, title page, or bibliographic records further enhances the scarcity of this version. An important survival from the early era of mechanical children’s publishing, and a seldom-seen example of the international reach—and adaptation—of popular movable formats.

This exceedingly scarce Spanish-language movable book, En Automóvil, is a rare variant of a remarkable early 20th-century production originally issued in French as Voyage Extraordinaire de Mr. Tramontane and in English as A Trip to the Moon. It recounts the whimsical lunar voyage of Mr. Tramontane and Mr. Giggins in a grand, turn-of-the-century motorcar, echoing the fanciful, Jules Verne–inspired narratives so popular in belle époque children’s publishing. The Spanish edition is notably unrecorded in standard bibliographies and omits a title page, publisher’s imprint, and one of the movable plates found in the French and English versions, distinguishing it as a localized adaptation of exceptional rarity.

The French edition was published by A. Capendu of Paris—also known for issuing works by Lothar Meggendorfer—while the English-language adaptations were issued by L.W. Walter Co. of Chicago and, in Britain, by Browne & Browne of Newcastle Upon Tyne. While the French version contains five mechanical scenes, this Spanish variant was published with four, suggesting either a simplified production process or editorial revision for a Spanish-speaking market. Despite the reduced mechanical complexity, the book retains its charm and interactive appeal, and all four movable scenes remain intact and fully functional in the present copy.

Spanish-language movable books from the early 20th century are rarely encountered. Unlike their German, French, or even American counterparts, Spanish editions were often produced in limited runs and for niche audiences. Mechanically simpler and more modest in scope, they were frequently adapted or translated from better-known European publications and typically lacked the sophisticated paper engineering found in books from Nister, Meggendorfer, or Keller & Co. For this reason, surviving examples of Spanish movables—particularly in such complete and working condition—are of high bibliographic interest and extreme scarcity on the market.

That scarcity is underscored by the 2011 sale of the French edition by K&K Auctions, who noted: “Not in the relevant children book bibliographies, not in Quérard and Monod. No copy in KVK. No copy on the German and English auction market over the past 50 years. Rare.” To date, no institutional holdings or published bibliographic records have been located for this Spanish edition, which likely reflects a very limited, possibly experimental print run.

This copy includes a charming period inscription from “Grandma Bruner” on the front pastedown, providing a tangible link to its early 20th-century origins. Its survival, with all interactive elements present and operational, is a remarkable testament to the durability and cross-cultural appeal of mechanical children’s books in the age of early motorcars and imaginative space travel.

References:
French edition: Voyage Extraordinaire de Mr. Tramontane, published by Capendu (Paris)
English editions: A Trip to the Moon, L.W. Walter Co. (Chicago); Browne & Browne (Newcastle Upon Tyne)
K&K Auctions, 2011: Catalog note on Voyage Extraordinaire (French edition)
No listings located in KVK, Monod, Quérard, or standard bibliographies of children’s movable books.