Description

“HEARTS ARE MORE SCARCE THAN ONE WOULD THINK”: FIRST EDITION OF THE TIN WOODMAN OF OZ

BAUM, L. Frank. The Tin Woodman of Oz. Chicago: Reilly & Britton, (1918). Octavo, original red cloth, mounted cover illustration, pictorial endpapers. $3000.

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

Baum wrote this to please his many readers “who had wanted to know what became of the Munchkin girl that the Tin Woodman had been engaged to marry before he axed himself to pieces” (Eyles, 51). First edition, first state, with the publisher’s advertisement on the verso of the ownership leaf listing 11 titles, the last of which is this one. Without scarce original dust jacket. Hanff & Greene, 73-74. Plates lovely, interior generally very clean. Tiny discolored spot to rear board. Minor abrasion to bright mounted color illustration. An outstanding copy, very nearly fine.