Dean's New Book of Dissolving Views. Large 8vo.

Six 'dissolving views' each consisting of two hand-coloured wood engravings, cut horizontally into four, enclosed within a decorative wood engraved border, original card tabs which, when pulled, reveal the image beneath. Each view with a printed caption & four lines of verse; tear with sl. loss to upper corner of leading f.e.p. & initial blank, views sl. spotted, some marking to upper corners, a few small sl. tears, but overall a lovely unrestored copy as issued. Original colour printed purple boards, pictorial onlay within printed border, black cloth spine. Gift inscription on verso of leading f.e.p.: 'From J. Benson to Mary Done, with best wishes for her happiness and prosperity, May 6th 1861'. v.g. Copac locates copies at the BL, Oxford, and TCD only. A rare copy in this condition, with the original tabs and in good workng order. Dean & Son in their advertisement described the work as a 'A New Style of Movable Book. Printed on stout paper, and so constructed as to present a series of appropriate changeable Illustrations, dissolving into Scenes of a different and opposite character, upon a novel and entertaining planthe pictures being colouredsuch as "A Picture of War changing into a Scene representing Peace." The whole rendered interesting by a description of the several subjects. Price 2s., paper boards.' The six views are: Land. Sea. (showing a windmill in one image a ship in the other); War. Peace. (a soldier and a shepherd); Day. Night. (a ruined abbey by day and night); Summer. Winter. (A temple in summer and a mountain in winter); Fire. Water. (a volcano and waterfall). No authorship for the text is indicated but the illustrations are signed 'Calvert, Sc.',the most likely candidate being William Calvert, a London wood engraver who flourished between 1850 and 1861 and worked at 10 East Harding Street about a five-minute walk from Dean & Son's premises.…