Metamorphosis: Transformations in the Early Modern Flap Book (early 19th century) — The Public Domain ReviewHomeEssaysCollectionsExploreSourcesShopSupport PDRAboutBlog SearchSearch The Public Domain ReviewSupport PDREssaysCollectionsExploreSourcesShopAboutBlogXBlueskyCollections / BooksMetamorphosis: Transformations in the Early Modern Flap Book (early 19th century)
Metamorphosis, or, A Transformation of Pictures, with Poetical Explanations (Harrisburg, PA: Printed by Theo F. Scheffer, 1857).The opening leaf of the 1816 edition of Metamorphosis: or, a Transformation of Pictures with Poetical Explanations for the Amusement of Young Persons provides a reassuring disclaimer:That we may not mislead our little readers, it is desired they would understand the Mermaid and Griffin to be only creatures of fable, that never did exist. And although Death is represented in the form of a human skeleton, yet this is only an emblem; for Death is not a being but a state.Such a warning was perhaps necessary because of the startling technology on display in the next pages. By manipulating paper flaps, the child could turn Adam into Eve into a mermaid, a lion into a griffin into an eagle — all while learning about the inevitability of death.Metamorphosis, or, A Transformation of Pictures, with Poetical Explanations (Philadelphia: Printed by J. Rakestraw, 1816).“Moving books” such as this, also known as harlequinades or flap books, became popular with the explosion of cheap printing in the seventeenth century. Metamorphosis was an adaptation of The Beginning, Progress and End of Man, a popular single-sheet pamphlet first published during the English Civil War (the earliest example dates from 1650). As Jacqueline Reid-Walsh points out, the figures in these early editions bear a remarkable resemblance to Charles I — but whether that was a reflection of contemporary fashions or an indication that the pamphlet had political import is hard to tell. Nevertheless, dozens of versions, with varying illustrations and texts, were reprinted on both sides of the Atlantic over the next two centuries.Benjamin Sands, the writer credited on the American editions — the earliest was printed in 1789 — seems to have been responsible primarily for the continuation of the text (numbers 13–21), which gives the story of Adam and Eve in verse form. He may also have been responsible for aiming these editions at young readers, transforming an older text into a general literacy aid; some editions included a primer of the alphabet and basic numerals.Several editions move across four panels: in the first, we see how Adam begets Eve, who begets a mermaid, another woman whose speech lures one to ruin. The second shows a lion become a griffin become an eagle, who steals a baby. (Eagles seem to have been a common bogeyman: one of the remarkable eighteenth-century DIY learning aids, made by the Englishwoman Jane Johnson, also warns against the dangers eagles posed to unattended and perhaps unwary infants.) Metamorphosis (Cadiz, Ohio (?): Printed by H. Anderson, 1836).We then home in on man’s lifecycle: the baby, saved from the eagle, sets out to become rich; by panel four he is a prosperous gentleman — but, of course, death comes for us all. “O MAN !” the last panel exclaims. “Now see thou art but dust; / Thy gold and silver is but rust; / Thy time is come, thy glass is spent; / What is there that can Death prevent”. The skeleton (the mere emblem of the state of death) looms over the dying man in his bed, an arrow poised to pierce him through.A cheery lesson, to be sure, but pessimism did not seem to diminish the book’s popularity in the slightest. In fact, the physical engagement one had with it inspired many readers to create their own editions: there are a remarkable number of extant amateur manuscripts of Metamorphosis. Yale’s Beinecke Library holds several, ranging from pen-and-ink looseleaf sketches by one young woman to a young man’s bound watercolor volume.The Metamorphosis was so popular among American children (or their parents) that it was published in translation, within the United States itself. In 1833, a German edition was published in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with new illustrations — including one of a Christian knight tangling with the devil — and an additional poem “In Praise of the Farmer”. German speakers got into the DIY game, too.The effectiveness and popularity of the moving book as a didactic aid, which brought elements of play into learning, prefigured in some ways the rise of the educational movie or video game. Other classic texts got the same treatment: the work of the seventeenth-century nonconformist preacher — and children’s education enthusiast — John Bunyan was illustrated and republished as a movable book, providing a tactile emphasis to its lessons. In an 1819 American edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress, the shock encounter with the demon Apollyon is hidden, as it is for the Pilgrim himself, behind the ascent of the Hill Difficulty.Metamorphosis, or, A Transformation of Pictures, with Poetical Explanations (Philadelphia: Printed by G. Strong, 1834)).In Thomas Wright’s 1889 novel The Chalice of Carden, set in eighteenth-century Buckinghamshire, a nine-year-old girl named Sophie stumbles on a copy of The Beginning, Progress and End of Man in the cottage where she is staying with her deeply religious relatives, Margaret and Geordie.“But what’s it all mean?” asked Sophie, still lingering, and pointing to the pictures. “Mean?” said Geordie. “What should it mean? It’s a panorama to amuse little folk like you.”Sophie is entranced by the visual transformations, though perhaps less by the religious lessons they were meant to impart. For Reid-Walsh, it is the moving book’s capacity for subversion that explains their enduring appeal. After all, what was to stop a child from turning Adam into a “creature of fable”?Text by Mathilde MontpetitEnjoyed this piece? We need your help to keep publishing.The PDR is a non-profit project kept alive by reader donations – no ads, no paywalls, just the generosity of our community. It’s a really exciting model, but we need your help to keep it thriving. Visit our support page to become a Friend and receive our themed postcard packs. Or give a one-off donation. Already a supporter? A huge thank you for making all this possible.Support PDRMediumBooksThemeAnimals & BeastsDesign & TypographyPoliticsReligion, Myth & LegendGenreChildren'sHumour & SatireArt, Design & PicturebooksEpoch19th CenturyTagschildren's book14adam and eve3metamorphosis3mermaids4eagles2SourceVariousMore Bryn Mawr College Library content on PDR (3)More McGill University Library content on PDR (3)More Internet Archive content on PDR (719)Underlying Work RightsPD WorldwideDigital Copy RightsVarious – see source links.DownloadSee links at source
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Metamorphosis, or, A Transformation of Pictures, with Poetical Explanations, published in 1816, is an example of a "moving book" or flap book that emerged alongside the proliferation of cheap printing in the seventeenth century. This activity catered to the popular trend of ephemeral literature, adapting earlier material like The Beginning, Progress and End of Man, which originated during the English Civil War. The figures in these early editions, as noted by Jacqueline Reid-Walsh, bear similarities to Charles I, prompting scholarly inquiry into whether this reflected contemporary fashion or political implications. Various versions of the work were reprinted across the Atlantic over two centuries, demonstrating its widespread circulation. Benjamin Sands is credited with adapting the text for American editions, particularly the section detailing the story of Adam and Eve in verse, and potentially aimed the material at younger readers by including primers on the alphabet and numerals.

The structure of Metamorphosis is organized across four panels, illustrating a narrative progression centered on transformation and mortality. The initial panels depict the genesis of humanity, showing Adam begetting Eve, who subsequently gives birth to a mermaid, and a woman whose allure leads to ruin. The second panel illustrates a sequence of metamorphoses, such as a lion transforming into a griffin and then an eagle, highlighting themes of change and predation, which aligns with eighteenth-century cautionary tales, such as the warnings against eagles posed to infants. The book culminates in an exploration of the human lifecycle, tracking the journey from infancy to becoming a prosperous gentleman, ultimately confronting the viewer with the inescapable reality of death, symbolized by a skeleton looming over the dying man. This final section poses a direct confrontation regarding mortality, emphasizing that earthly wealth and status are transient, and that death is an unpreventable state.

The physical engagement offered by these moving books proved highly compelling, inspiring readers to create their own editions, evidenced by the existence of numerous amateur manuscripts. The book's popularity extended beyond children by being translated and published within the United States; for instance, a German edition appeared in 1833 with new illustrations and additional poems. The effectiveness of Metamorphosis as a didactic aid, by integrating elements of play into instruction, foreshadowed later developments in educational media like video games. This approach was not unique, as other classic texts, including works by John Bunyan, were similarly treated as movable books to provide a tactile emphasis to their lessons. The enduring appeal of the work, according to Reid-Walsh, stems from its capacity for subversion, allowing children to engage with concepts like Adam transforming into a creature of fable, underscoring the power of visual transformation over static religious lessons. Furthermore, the narrative power of the book is reflected in literary engagement, as seen when a character in Thomas Wright’s novel encounters the visual representations within the context of their world, raising questions about the meaning embedded in these visual transformations beyond purely religious instruction.