Dean & Son's Almanack Fan 1875

S. l. (London): Dean & Son, 1875. First Edition. Very good. Die-cut, card-stock fan; 6 blades, affixed together with a small brad; 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 closed, 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 extended; chromolithographed illustrations, elaborate floral borders, and two months of the year per blade; a few spots to verso (mostly to last blade); light wear to edges; in very good condition.Founded in the late 1790s, the publishing company of Dean & Son would lay claim to being the first firm to introduce pop-up books for children. This very-scarce advertising novelty for the business was listed in Perry & Co's Monthly Illustrated Price Current as "New Perfumed Almanacs for 1875 - Dean & Son's New Goods for the Coming Season - Useful and Ornamental." This would be one of three patterns - the standard fan shape - as opposed to the screen shape and the stand shape, and Perry's would state: "Each have their separate merits as useful and art products, neat, tasteful, and exquisite in gold and many colours, and seasonable as presents or gifts. We have not seen anything better of the kind, at the price..."