The Three Little Kittens (Movable Volvelle Book, ca. 1899)

Boston: DeWolfe, Fiske & Co., circa 1899. First edition. Oblong quarto (approx. 9¾ x 12 in.). [28] pp. Printed by Niagara Lithograph Company, Buffalo, New York. Bound in color pictorial paper-covered boards with original cloth backstrip. Illustrated with full-page chromolithographs. The upper board features a rotating volvelle disk integrated into the cover design, revealing eight sequential scenes when turned.

Condition: Near Fine. Boards clean with only light shelfwear. Cloth spine intact. Pages clean and tightly bound with no markings or repairs. The revolving volvelle mechanism is complete and functional. A bright, well-preserved copy.

A rare movable book from DeWolfe, Fiske & Co., issued at the close of the 19th century. The rotating volvelle on the cover reveals eight different illustrations as the disk turns—an ingenious mechanical design appealing to young readers. This volume is one of six titles in the "Revolving Toy Books" series produced by DeWolfe, Fiske & Co. and printed by Niagara Lithograph Company. These books were marketed as chromo-covered toy books featuring perforated rotating disks on their covers.

Collector’s Corner:

The Three Little Kittens is cited in The Publishers' Trade List Annual (1899, p. 85) as one of six titles in the “Revolving Toy Books” series, each with “a perforated revolving disk on the cover showing 8 amusing scenes.” The full series includes The Night Before Christmas, The Story of the Three Bears, The Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Three Little Kittens, The House That Jack Built, and Picture Land A, B, C.

Though marketed in trade listings, these books were likely issued in small numbers. Surviving copies of The Three Little Kittens are particularly scarce. In over 30 years of observation, fewer than three known copies have surfaced, making this a valuable and collectible example of American mechanical publishing at the turn of the century.

DeWolfe, Fiske & Co. was founded in Boston in 1880 by Perez Morton DeWolfe and Charles F. Fiske, following the bankruptcy of Albert W. Lovering. They initially focused on publishing a broad range of titles, but by the 1890s became best known for their chromolithographed juvenile books and novelty formats. The company operated out of 361–365 Washington Street, where it also managed the Archway Bookstore. In 1905, the firm was renamed DeWolfe and Fiske Co., shifting focus from publishing to retail and wholesale bookselling. Publishing activities ceased by 1909, and the firm was eventually acquired by Chadwick-Miller, Inc. of Canton, Massachusetts.
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References:

The Publishers' Trade List Annual, Volume 1. R.R. Bowker, 1899, p. 85. Cites all six Revolving Toy Book titles by DeWolfe, Fiske & Co.

International Publishing Company. Leading Manufacturers and Merchants of the City of Boston. 1885, p. 180. Describes DeWolfe, Fiske’s bookstore and publishing activities

The Boston Public Library Quarterly, vol. 6, no. 1, p. 145. Notes Albert W. Lovering’s prior bankruptcy and transition to DeWolfe, Fiske

Massachusetts Library Association Bulletin, vol. 43–44, p. 83. Describes Perez Morton DeWolfe’s appearance and retail role

The Bookseller, Newsdealer and Stationer, Volume 22, Excelsior Publishing House, 1905, p. 535. Details company transition in 1905