Description

“IF OZMA EVER GOT LOST, EV’RYBODY WOULD BE DREADFUL SORRY”:
FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE OF THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ

BAUM, L. Frank. The Lost Princess of Oz. Chicago: Reilly & Britton, (1917). Octavo, original pale blue cloth, mounted cover illustration, pictorial endpapers.

First edition, first state of Baum’s 11th Oz tale, delightfully and illustrated by John R. Neill with numerous black-and-white line cuts, many full-page, and 12 color plates.

“If Baum were running out of ideas for Oz stories, he had only to listen to his readers. In the preface to [this volume], he wrote, ‘I must admit that the main idea? was suggested to me by a sweet little girl of 11? Said she: “I s’pose if Ozma ever got lost, or stolen, ev’rybody in Oz would be dreadful sorry.”’ This spurred Baum to write one of his most imaginative tales” (Eyles, 51). First state, with publisher’s advertisement on the verso of the ownership page listing ten books, the last of which is the present title. Without extremely rare original dust jacket. Hanff & Greene, 71.

Minor soiling to cloth. An attractive copy in near-fine condition.