Title: Grandma's search [or Tommy lost and found]
Early Antique movable lift the flap book - 1869
Author; Sarah H Bradford
Printer: Blochmann,
16 p., 8 leaves of movable color plates
9” X 7”
Creator: Sarah Bradford
Illustrator: EE. Assmann
Lithographer: Rau & Son
Binder: Th. Sellig & Sohn
Place of Publication: Dresden, Germany
Publisher: s.n.
Date of Publication: November 1869
Illustrations contain lift up flaps and were
chromolithographed by Rau & Sohn after E. Assmann.
"Grandmama’s Search," by Sarah Bradford
tells the story of a grandma’s search for her grandson Tommy. In each
illustration she peers into a new nook or cranny and the reader can lift a flap
in the page to see what is hidden below.
The front has a dedication to Elizabeth from Aunt Phoebe
written in beautiful antique script and dated Sept. 26, 1870
Condition: Very Good.
Every movable plate is in fine condition with no tears, no writing, and
work perfectly – see photos. Binding is good although some pages are
loose. The paper is in great shape - one of the story pages (not a movable) is missing, else complete. Boards have slight wear
and browning for an 1869 book – see photos.
Collector’s Corner:
The only other known copy of this book
resides in the highly revered “Emily Dickinson Collection” at the Houghton Library,
Harvard College - Emily Dickinson Room. (The Houghton Library is renowned
internationally for its holdings of nineteenth-century American writers, and
many would say that the jewel in that crown is the Emily Dickinson Collection. The
collection comprises most of the poet’s personal papers and manuscripts, and
the entire family library as it was at her death. The copy at Harvard is
inscribed to her niece Mattie.)
The creator of this book - Sarah Hopkins Bradford (1818-1912)- was most famously know for her biography of Harriett Tubman. She met Tubman's family at church during the Civil War and was later chosen as the official biographer. She is responsible for Tubman's nickname - "The Black Moses"
This book appears to be this important writers only movable child's book. A collector was kind enough to email with this update: Sarah did not totally write text - she actually translated text (loosely) from an older German book of the same title/story.
Sarah Bradford also ran a school for "young ladies and little girls" out of her home in the United States until moving to Germany in 1869 where she published this book.