Description
Here is a first edition, fifth printing of the Marvelous Land of Oz, copyright 1904, ca. 1917/18 according to the Book Collector’s Guide to L Frank Baum. This is another of my books from the collection of Oz Club great Fred Meyer. This book is the last printing of Land to still have the Reilly & Britton imprint on the title page, yet it has Reilly & Lee on the spine (Binding F with tan cloth). The book is bound with 12 amazing color plates by John R Neill.
The condition of the book is near very good overall. The front cover is clean with silver lettering and graphics still very nice, with a little wear and tanning to spine, corner bumping and a small bit of loss to cloth on edge of rear cover. Inside, the front hinge is cracked with a glue repair, the rear is intact, and the illustrated green endpapers are in nice condition. There is a 1919 inscription on back of frontispiece. All 12 color plates are present and in nice condition, as are the pages except for on 1/4″ closed edge tear noted. Glue on a few of the plates a little crooked, so possibly resinserted. A nice, collectible early Baum that will come with a statement of provenance that it’s from Fred’s collection.
