New Zealand charity shops are not the wonderful palaces of rare and wonderful things that they are in Britain. However, there is one that is worth a look every time I am in the area, and my most recent visit turned up an old Pop-up book.
Dean's Pop-Up Book of Motor Cars was one of several transport-related Pop-ups produced by Dean & Son Ltd. The copyright date inside is 1961, but no author or artist is credited, although the cover painting is signed Gordon.
It is a small hardback book, 234 mm by 168 mm. There are three pop-up scenes.
The first shows a B.R.M. racing car on the track, with an empty oil drum marker. The next two pages show a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and a Super Porsche 90.
The next scene has a fire engine on its way to a fire, with a Police car racing ahead to clear the way - 'just in case any cars, lorries or carts are taking up too much room on the road'. So, carts were still a traffic hazard in 1961.
Then a Formula Junior Lotus, an Aston Martin DB4, and the new Jaguar type 'E'. The final pop-up scene shows a Daimler double-decker bus over-taking the M.G saloon.
A nice little piece of history, and only $3 NZ (about £1.44).
I do not have a full list of these pop-up books by Dean & Son, but the transport series included books on ships, trains, trucks and tractors. But it seems there were none on aircraft ?
Paul Adams from New Zealand
What an amazing find! Incredible illustrations from the Golden Age! SFZ
ReplyDeleteSo evocative of that time. It takes me back to my nursery days of the early 60s and a 'Thomas the Tank Engine' type picture book called 'Tootles the Taxi and friends' about contemporary road vehicles of the day.
ReplyDeleteWell worth the $3 Paul.
Such lovely period illustrations. There are a series of small books by Orbit with cars in them. I've got the two space ones, but was always tempted to find the whole set of tanks, jets, cars etc. very evocative. Bill
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