Description

“A THOUSAND LITTLE GIRLS HAD WRITTEN ME A THOUSAND LITTLE LETTERS ASKING FOR ANOTHER STORY”: FIRST EDITION OF BAUM’S MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ

BAUM, L. Frank. The Marvelous Land of Oz. Chicago: Reilly & Britton, 1904. Quarto, original red cloth, cover illustration stamped in navy, silver and green, pictorial endpapers.

First edition, first state, of Baum’s second Oz book—the “further adventures of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman” and the first adventures of such new characters as Jack Pumpkinhead and the Woggle-Bug—with numerous in-text illustrations and 16 full-page color plates by John R. Neill.

“In 1904, Baum gave in to demands for another story of Oz. He was asked particularly for one about the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, for the stage musical [of The Wizard of Oz, which opened on Broadway in 1903] had made them his best-known characters” (Eyles, 45). The duo proved so popular that a photographic montage featuring the actors who portrayed them—Fred Stone and David Montgomery, respectively—serves as this volume’s endpapers. Because Baum and W.W. Denslow, who illustrated the first book, argued about royalties from its stage adaptation, Baum “needed a new illustrator, and John R. Neill stepped up to the plate. Neill would illustrate all of Baum’s subsequent Oz books, as well as the 19 titles written by Baum’s successor, Ruth Plumly Thompson. When Thompson retired, Neill himself authored three Oz books” (Franklin, 32). First state, with all points, including no publication date on verso of title page, dedicatory text box 6-1/4” high and misplaced illustrations on pages [22] and [27]. Variant binding “B.” Without extremely scarce dust jacket. Hanff & Greene, 45-6. Bienvenue, 21-2. Calligraphic gift inscription dated Christmas 1904 (year of publication).

Interior generally quite clean, minor strengthening to one leaf of text block. Inner paper hinges and text block with expert repairs; bright original cloth with only minor wear to extremities, a few rubs to rear panel. A very desirable copy.