Schaller & Kirn: A Short History and List of Movable Books

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive catalog and historical reconstruction of Schaller & Kirn, a short-lived but prolific nineteenth-century German publisher of movable picture books. Founded in Fürth, Bavaria, by Carl Schaller and Hugo Kirn in 1883, the firm produced a wide range of mechanical picture books in multiple languages before dissolving their partnership in 1885. Afterward, Carl Schaller continued publishing under his own name into the early twentieth century. The article documents over 40 known titles produced by Schaller & Kirn or Carl Schaller, with particular attention to their international editions in English, French, and Dutch.
The study is grounded in extensive research across nineteenth-century trade bibliographies, book catalogs, and auction records, as well as firsthand examination of surviving copies in private collections. It begins with a historical overview of the company’s origins and the biographies of its founders. While some books were fully produced and published by Schaller & Kirn, others were collaborative projects where illustrations or mechanical components were printed in Fürth and distributed internationally under other publishers’ imprints.
This research highlights the role Schaller & Kirn played in the wider European network of interactive book production. Their work exemplifies the mechanical innovation, chromolithographic skill, and cross-border publishing partnerships that defined the golden age of movable books. It also provides a resource for collectors and historians seeking to identify and contextualize these rare and often undocumented titles.