Raphael Tuck
Father Tuck's Mechanical Animals. Series 3., c. 1910
London; Paris; Berlin; New York: Raphael Tuck & Sons
1771
Eight chromolithographed animal figures cleverly hinged with paper joints, enabling it, as the box suggests, to be 'placed in hundreds of different life-like positions' as well as folding up neatly...
Eight chromolithographed animal figures cleverly hinged with paper joints, enabling it, as the box suggests, to be "placed in hundreds of different life-like positions" as well as folding up neatly for storage in the box. The inside box lid notes the animals included in the three different series on offer: Domestic Animals in the first series; Wild and Tame Animals in series two, and Wild Animals form the third group. However, the animals in this set do not correspond to the list, as the monkey and pony from the second series, and the cat from series one join the lion, zebra leopard, and polar bear this series calls for. Rounding out the eighth animal in this set is a turkey, which does not appear listed at all. The OCLC record for the sole recorded copy of this work - a copy of series two held at the Osborne Collection at the Toronto Public Library - notes that the verso of each animal has a printed description of each animal; in the example under consideration, that description is pasted over with a Spanish translation which bears the Madrid imprint "Sucesores de Hernando," which was active between 1902 and 1924. This suite of anomalies suggest the Tuck firm had partnered with Sucesores de Hernando to push into the Spanish-language market. Repair to one of the turkey's feet, otherwise the animals are nearly fine in the original box, which is worn and the bottom section is stained. Rare.