Dean & Son - Dean's New Scenic Books #2 - Robinson Crusoe Dutch edition

BELINFANTE'S NIEUWE PRENTENBOEKEN
Dutch Edition of Dean & Son - Dean's New Scenic Books #2 - Robinson Crusoe

Publisher:
S Gravenhage Gebroeders Belinfante (Translates to : The Hague Brothers Belinfante )

Dimensions:
10 x 6 7/8 x 5/16 inches (25.4 x 17.5 x 0.8 cm)

Description:

• Format: Quarto-sized volume.
• Binding: Original quarter blue cloth with illustrated paper over boards.
• Content: Comprises 8 leaves, each featuring a three-layer pop-up scene. These scenes are operated by silk ribbons, allowing the illustrations to stand upright when the ribbons are pulled. The hand-colored lithographic images depict various episodes from Robinson Crusoe, offering a three-dimensional storytelling experience.

The Gebroeders Belinfante, the firm responsible for publishing Belinfante's Nieuwe Prentenboeken series in 1865, operated in The Hague and became known for producing educational and entertaining children’s books. If you see “’s-Gravenhage” in reference to a publisher’s location or in the publication details of a historical Dutch book, it simply indicates that the book was published in The Hague.

Others in their series: Roodkapje (Dutch edition of Little Red Riding Hood New Scenic Books by Dean, circa 1865 - Similar to Robinson Crusoë, Roodkapje features cut-out, hand-colored lithographic illustrations that stand upright, making it an interactive experience for readers -.

Wouter Wonderman's Wondervolle Surprises (circa 1865 - This book differs from the other titles by being a flip-over book with eight pages. Each page has fold-out flaps that reveal new scenes, making it a "surprise" book with multiple interactive elements.

Joseph Justus Belinfante (1812–1882) was in business with family members, including his brother Isaac Belinfante (1814–1892) . The Belinfante family operated under the name Gebroeders Belinfante (Belinfante Brothers), and they were based in 's-Gravenhage (The Hague). Together, they managed the Nederlandsch Correspondentie Bureau, a prominent correspondence bureau, and were involved in publishing a variety of works, including legal, governmental, and children's literature. Born into an illustrious Jewish family with roots tracing back through Turkey, Portugal, and Italy since the 17th century, Joseph Justus Belinfante was the son of Jacob and the nephew of Mozes ben-Zaddik Ha-Cohen Belinfante. His family had a rich publishing heritage, with his publicist relatives founding the first Jewish publication in the Netherlands. Joseph Justus began his career as a proofreader, working proficiently in both French and Dutch. Married in 1837 to Bilha Lobato (1804−1880), Joseph Justus Belinfante had no children of his own but maintained close relationships with his many nephews and cousins, who affectionately referred to him as "Oom Joost" (Uncle Justus)

How does this connect with Dean & Son editions?
The absence of comprehensive copyright protection for foreign authors and publishers in the Netherlands in the 19th century made it easy for Dutch publishers to legally produce translations and reprints of foreign works, including British titles, without needing permission or paying fees. Under the 1817 Copyright Act, only Dutch authors, translators, and publishers had legal copyright protection. This legislation did not extend to foreign authors or publishers, leaving their works unprotected from reprints or translations in the Dutch market.

For Dutch publishers, this was highly advantageous. They could offer international literature to Dutch readers without incurring the costs associated with acquiring rights, thus avoiding significant licensing expenses. This practice was particularly beneficial in the Netherlands, where a small domestic literary market and limited original output made foreign works valuable for publishers looking to satisfy demand. Furthermore, with high foreign language proficiency in the Netherlands, readers were accustomed to consuming international content, which increased the popularity of translated foreign works.

This environment provided fertile ground for publishers like Gebroeders Belinfante to reprint and translate popular works from abroad, such as Dean & Son’s New Scenic Books.

Dutch publishers eventually began paying for translations, but this shift took time. by the late 19th century, as international pressure mounted and as the literary market evolved, there was a growing recognition of the need for copyright reform. In 1886, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works was established to create a standardized system of copyright protection across member countries. The Netherlands joined the Berne Convention in 1912, finally providing foreign authors and publishers with copyright protection and requiring Dutch publishers to obtain permission and pay for translations and reprints.

After joining the Berne Convention, Dutch publishers could no longer freely publish translated works without legal agreements, leading to a shift in how foreign literature was handled in the Netherlands. From then on, publishers needed to negotiate contracts and pay for the rights to translate and publish international works, marking the end of the era of free, unauthorized translations and reprints. This change was part of a broader movement towards intellectual property protection and international cooperation in the publishing industry.