Description
Here is a hard to find copy of the 1st edition/1st printing of The Boy Fortune Hunters in Panama, by L Frank Baum. The Wizard of Oz author here is writing under a pseudonym, Floyd Akers. Published by Reilly & Britton in 1908, this matches all the 1st printing points in the Book Collector’s Guide to Baum by Bienvenue and Schmidt (p. 283). What makes this printing so desirable is that unlike the others of the Boy Fortune Hunter’s series, this book contains not just one black and white frontis, but FIVE plates (as issued) in eye-popping colors by Howard Heath. Shortly after this printing was issued, the publisher cut costs by switching to just one B&W frontispiece for this book.
This book is in good plus condition overall. The white and cream embellishments on the front cover are mostly intact, with a little bit of loss in the top graphics. The spine has some fraying starting at the ends. The rear cover has some scuffind/discoloration. Inside, the hinges are intact but the spine is cracked, but holding, at the half title page. The rear endpapers and some of the pages have some staining. And best of all, the 5 color plates are present and in nice condition, except that one is detached and one appears to have been neatly reinserted. A nice copy for the serious collector of children’s books and Oziana.
