BAUM, L. FRANK | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Chicago: George M. Hill, 1900

BAUM, L. FRANK

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Chicago: George M. Hill, 1900

4to. Pictorial title-page and 23 plates printed in color, numerous text illustrations and book cover by W.W. Denslow, original pictorial light green cloth blocked in red and darker green with red publisher's spine imprint; cloth lightly faded and a little rubbed, some color loss at upper corner of front cover, but a sound tight copy free from the usual restoration. Folding case.

First edition, first issue of text, of the extraordinarily influential Oz book.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz taught children and adults, first to look anew at their everyday life, and to discover elements of wonder and fantasy. As the world became more mechanized, imagination could transform even machines into something quite different. The world of Oz was a world apart from the ills of modern society, and from the day of publication until the present has continued to provide a haven. 

The text is in the earliest state with the box around the advertisements on page 2; verso of the title page blank; page 14 line one reads "low wail on ..."; the colophon is composed of 11 lines; color plate facing page 34 has two dark spots on the moon; color plate facing page 92 has the horizon in red.

REFERENCES:

Hanff/Greene I:I binding B; Peter Parley to Penrod 111