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Undoubtedly, Ernest Nister (1842-1909) is the designer/publisher most associated with books that feature dissolving effects. Based in Germany, his firm mainly used British artists and writers to produce beautifully chromolithographed gift books, many of which incorporated novelty elements. In some the richly coloured plates (usually interleaved with stories, rhymes and sepia wash drawings) are printed on overlapping slats which, when manipulated by a pull-tab, cause one picture to slide into view from below. Others use revolving disks (or volvelles) to produce surprising changes. A paper wheel is pivoted on the underside of a pierced page: when turned at the edge, different elements appear through the apertures. Iris dissolves (like the one demonstrated below) are circular slats formed of overlapping radial segments, the lower picture (usually turned by a ribbon-tab) emerging rather like an iris opening on a camera lens. The example shown is from Nister's 'Something New' with text by Clifton Bingham and pictures by A E Jackson published circa 1890.

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