French Secret Compartment Book

Four spines of old aged covers, and one volume that reads like a lockbox.

This secret compartment book bound in leather is from France, and dates to the 20th century. It is leather & bound paper. A hollow book is usually made by cutting a recess into the pages, which are then glued together so that the book still opens like a normal volume. Group of aged books with marbled, tan-and-brown covers, gilt-touched spine panels and worn corners. One lies open, its pages cut away into a deep pocket, while small dense type fills the visible leaves. It is 6 inches wide, 2 deep and 8.75 high.

It looks like literature and behaves like a safe.