4, 6‐Barbaralanedicarboxy‐2, 8‐dicarboxylic anhydride and 1, 5‐dimethyl‐4, 6‐semibullvalenedicarboxy‐2, 8‐dicarboxylic anhydride: examples of unusual barbaralanes and semibullvalenes that do not undergo the Cope rearrangement. They are locked as the closed tautomers†. (10th August 2016)