In today's What's it Worth? we deal with two nice items. Well, one could be considered somewhat naughty but is historical and from the World War I.
Q. This is an old Bible that belonged to my great grandmother. We don't know a lot about it, but the Bible itself is written in German, yet was published in Chicago in 1896. The upper part is a series of pictures which scroll along to show a Bible story. Other than signs of wear due to age, overall it is in fairly good condition. Can you tell me anything about what this actually is? Is there any value to what seems an unusual piece? The title is Die Bildfchilderung -- Ty in West Richland
A. This is a mechanical "panorama book," also called a "myriopticon." It is an unusual form of child's theater and book that tells the story with a complex set of rotating illustrations.
An early myriopticon about the American Revolution was produced by a man named Milton Bradley of Massachusetts in the 1860s. Bradley, a draftsman by training, went on to found the famous game company that eventually gave us "The Game of Life," "Candlyland" and "Twister."
This particular book /scroll is mounted with the pictures showing on the tilting desktop surface of the case. In most, the scroll of pictures -- very colorful and exciting views -- are actually two scrolls that rotate in unison, one with large illustrations, one with smaller pictures. Many are key-operated; this example has no key and seems to work by rotating dials on the sides.
Several different versions were produced by Powers, Fowler and Lewis. Some are more complex than others; some have more extensive illustrations. A paper frame mimicking a stage surrounds the bigger pictures.
The largest of these books published by the firm is called "the Royal Scroll" and can have 20 large Bible scenes and 132 small illustrations. That panorama book is subtitled Bible Study in Topical Form Answering the Who, When, Where, What , Why of the Scriptures.
Myriopitcon sets are sought by book collectors and have good value. A Bible set much like this one was offered at the San Francisco Antiquarian Book Fair and sale in early 2010 for $1,500. We have seen them as high as $2,500 from specialist book dealers.
To realize those prices at retail, condition must be perfect and the set fully operational with all original parts.
The fact that this is a Bible study and in a foreign language will hold back values. In as-original condition, the fair market price would be $1,000, perhaps a bit less.
Ty's book set could well have been used by a Sunday School teacher or a church missionary working in a German-speaking area. Die Bildfchilderung, by the way, literally translates as "picture description."
Q. A distant male relative returned from Europeran service in World War I with a number of souvenir items. Included was this little locket, which opens to reveal a series of small, somewhat revealing photographs. The lady pictured is not nude, but wearing a full body stocking. Have you seen something like this and would it have any great value? -- Sharon in Pasco
A. Measuring 1 1/2 inches in length, this locket is unusual among "war souvenirs" and is more like items sold to the general public in England during the years before the war.
She's a little racy, but not as outrageous for the period as you might think. The clue is in the words at the bottom of each little photograph that unfolds from the locket -- "pose plastique."
Very popular during the Victorian Era in Britain, the pose plastique was a living statue or group of statues performed by women, both actresses and models, who appeared to be in various states of undress. Sort of undress, that is.
While they "looked" undressed -- like these photos -- the subjects were clothed in skintight beige body stockings or "fleshing," as it was called.
England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries seems to have been awash in statues, both in public places and private homes. Many plays were performed and new ones written with living statues featured as both props and plot devices -- think Pygmalion.
Middle class citizens still performed home tableaux for each other, particularly Christmas-themed pantomimes during December.
Local variety shows and music halls also featured a huge number of tableaux, but the form of human statue to which the supposedly prude Victorians most took, the one which they truly made their own, was the somewhat erotic pose plastique.
These photographs, whether from old theatrical productions or lockets, are not often seen today. Fair market value for this excellent example is $150 to $ 250.
-- tchwhatsitworth@gmail.com
