Description
Here is a scarce children’s book: Mother Goose in Prose by Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum. This book is doubly collectible because of the unusual illustrations by Maxfield Parrish. Originally copyright 1897 by Way and Williams, this one copyright 1905 and printed circa 1920s-early 1940s by Bobbs-Merrill (source: The Book Collector’s Guide to L Frank Baum). This is the 2nd of two similar Bobbs-Merrill printings, with a color pastedown label and 13 inserted plates by Parrish in red on pale yellow background. (As published; there are 12 plates listed in the List of Illustrations, but the title page is illustrated and is considered a plate as well. )
Condition is fair to good. Cover cloth has edge wear and chipping as shown, spine is still nice, and rear cover has some soiling. The book appears to have had professional restoration, with hinges repaired and some loose pages reinserted, a few have ragged edges. Front endpapers are overglued a bit. A few pages, including the title page, have small edge or corner tears, and there is a rectagular chip in the rear endpaper. The good news is that all 13 plates are present and generally in very good condition, except one has a large chip in top margin and one is inserted in the wrong location.
