Description
Here is a hard to find Baum book: “Babes in Birdland” (A Fairy Tale) by Laura Bancroft. Bancroft is one of L Frank Baum’s (Wizard of Oz author) pseudonyms. Copyright 1911 by Reilly & Britton, first edition, first printing with Laura Bancroft credited on front, rather than L. Frank Baum. This copy special in that it has the bookplate of Ray Powell, a long-time Oz Club member who also organized the early Munchkin Conventions. It also has his name written on the Book Belongs To page. With eight lovely color plates by Maginel Wright Enright, Frank Lloyd Wright’s sister. There are also several pages of ads for Baum stories in the back, including one for the Twinkle Tales, also by Bancroft/Baum, that says “several critics who have read The Twinkle Tales favorably compare Miss Bancroft’s stories to Mr. Baum’s work.”
This book is notoriously fragile, and a probably young Ray has taped the worn edges of the front and back cover in clean tape, so priced accordingly. The spine has some scuffing. Inside, the book is in nice condition, with binding and hinges intact. All 8 color plates are present, though 6 or the 8 has a tiny bit of staining at upper margin near the gutter. The front endpaper has very faint writing on it. Other pages are clean without tears or writing.
