Here is a gorgeous and scarce W W Denslow find–a 1884 Four Seasons of Life book with cover art by Denslow and also two full-page color lithographs by Denslow. One of the lithos, captioned “Tis Winter’s Dreary Withering Blast”, showing an old man warming his hands before a fire, is included in the additions/corrections to Greene/Hearn W W Denslow bibliography in the Autumn 1980 Baum Bugle. I discovered three other lithos, representing the four seasons of life, some years ago. They all are copyright 1883 by P. W. Ziegler & Co. Ziegler was a Philly book publisher during the period when Denslow was working there. There were various book printings by publisher P W Ziegler containing one or more season lithos–this one with two inside, as the text includes just work related to Autumn and Winter, with the other seasons available in different versions of the book. All four seasons are included on the cover art, but utilizing only the central portions of the full lithos and reversed horizontally. The winter litho inside is very faintly signed “W D”. Denslow experimented with his signature in early days, and this was one he sometimes used with his partner Woodard. A large, heavy book, and one of the more attractive of the Ziegler variants–with gold and silver gilt cover embellishments and gilt text block edges. Some of the internal B&W art also is reminiscent of Denslow’s work, but is unsigned, while other art is clearly not by Denslow.
Book is in very good condition with a stunning cover and some wear to spine. Front hinge is neatly repaired. Lithos in very good condition with tissue guards intact, Unusual very early work by Denslow!
Photos and description by Wonderful Books of Oz, copyright protected through the DMCA act of 1998.
Interesting lot of Wizard of Oz-related ephemera: a large map with planner on the back, Daily Record with map front, My Culture & List with Father Goose cover, Monthly & Weekly Plan with Denslow Wizard title page art. The smaller 3 items are just 3 3/4″ x 5″ and have a pocket for storage, and were apparently made in Korea. Relatively modern “creator” pieces, but very unique and interesting!
Here’s an interesting lot of two “El Mago De Oz” books, The Wizard of Oz in Spanish. The first is a large paperback children’s edition with color illustrations, published in 1998 in Barcelona. What I love about this book is it has Dorothy flying off on a butterfly at the end, presumably back to Kansas. The second is a small softcover with B&W Denslow art, published by Madrid in 1987. The latter book is very good with a little age toning, while the large book has some coner folds and one page bound with the bottom folded up and a little tearing at the end.
Two vintage hardcover Wizard of Oz books in Hebrew, printed in Israel. The first from 1974 has a dust jacket and uses B&W art by Denslow, and the second from 2013 has Oz-some full page color art by Yaniv Shimony. Both in very good condition with light wear.
See my other International Oz listings here!
Scarce softcover book with cover design by W.W. Denslow of Wizard of Oz fame: In the Swim by Richard Henry Savage. Copyright 1898, Rand McNally & Co., Rialto series. Denslow designed a number of elaborate book covers for Rand McNally during this period, and the softcover ones are much harder to find in my experience as they just didn’t last. Signed “DEN” and with his hippocampus on the back of the wrap-around cover. For more information see “W. W. Denslow” by Greene and Hearn, and the Oz Enthusiast blog at http://theozenthusiast.blogspot.com/2008/05/denslow-covers.html.
The book has 361 numbered pages, and is in fair condition with substantial wear to the covers with some loss to corners, small edge tears, and loss to spine ends. Inside is complete but with corner edge and dirt and edge tears to endpapers. The first of this cover I have seen!
Yet another unusual item with art by Wizard of Oz illustrator W W Denslow: Animal Book book, undated but ca. 1920 by M. A. Donohue & Co (Chicago). Printed on linen. Borrowing signed Denslow art from the 1903 Dillingham edition of Denslow’s Zoo. Lovin’ that dining Tiger, and the Crocodile is offering a sugar cube to the tapir with tongs! Also with one of Denslow’s ABC images on the rear cover. Four color interior pages are also by Denslow, with other pages by another artist. 12 pages including covers, and smaller than the Dillingham Picture Books. Scarce.
This booklet is in fair to good condition with some edge/corner wear and a little finger soiling inside. Stapled binding is still intact.
Here is the fun Wizard of Oz book by L Frank Baum put out to tie in with the movie in 1939. Published by Bobbs Merrill, this thick edition has color plates by W.W. Denslow used in the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz book. Copyright 1903, published 1939. Shown as Bibliographia Oziana plate 8, first printing according to that source, with the inserted movie stills as sepia-toned endpapers. 207 pages.
This copy is in very good overall condition–front and rear covers are nice, spine has light wear. Inside, both hinges are intact, though the, blank endpaper is missing a corner as shown., 1939 gift inscription, other pages are mostly clean with ocassional stain. 8 color plates are all present and in nice condition.
Four Wizard of Oz wooden printer blocks, featuring W W Denslow-style images–a Scarecrow, Tin-man, Cowardly Lion and a Kansas one with Dorothy and Toto too! The larger ones are about 3″ x 1.5″ by almost an inch thick. I don’t know the history of these but they appear vintage and unused or lightly used.
Here is an unusual early book with cover design by W.W. Denslow of Wizard of Oz fame: A Colonial Dame by Laura Dayton Fessenden. Early edition published by Rand McNally in 1897, with a beautiful stylized cover with gilt lettering and gilt top edge. Denslow’s seahorse totem is printed at lower left. Denslow designed a number of elaborate book covers for Rand McNally during the 1896-1899 period. For more information see “W. W. Denslow” by Greene and Hearn, the Oz Enthusiast blog at http://theozenthusiast.blogspot.com/2008/05/denslow-covers.html, or the Spring 2015 Baum Bugle.
The small book has 220 numbered pages, and is in good overall condition. The front cover is in good condition, the spine has some darkening (but not as much as it appears in the photo), and the rear cover has light staining. Interior binding is tight, front endpapers have some staining, and several of the pages have edge tears where someone apparently tore open the gatherings rather than cutting them neatly.
Here is another interesting Oz collectible–an original program from Library of Congress “American Fairy Tale” exhibition of Wizard of Oz material. This exhibit opened in April of 2000 and was attended by at least 70,000 people. Embellished with art by W W Denslow. Material can be found online at: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/oz/
The booklet is 5 1/4″ by 9″ and folds out with 5 color panels on both sides. Very good condition with light wear.
Also, please see my store for other unusual Oz ephemera!
