Description
Here is a true first edition of the L Frank Baum Tin Woodman of Oz book, published in 1918 by Reilly & Britton. This is a first printing as described in Bibliographia Oziana: publisher’s advertisement to Tin Woodman on back of ownership page, 12 color plates w/o captions by John R Neill, pictorial endpapers, Reilly & Britton on the spine and copyright page. Since Reilly & Britton changed to Reilly & Lee in 1919, there were relatively few copies of this first edition/ first printing made.
Condition is good but not very good overall. The exterior is very nice with clean pastedown, front and rear cover and spine, with just a little wear at spine ends. Inside, both hinges are cracked, the rear one badly so, but holding. The front endpapers have two (very!) old prices in red, with a small tear at bottom of the free endpaper, and light vertical fold marks to the first few pages. Ownership page has 1918 inscription. All 12 color plates are present and in generally nice condition, though at least two have been re-inserted. Several pages also have tears, including a one long one that is glue repaired. Still a decent copy of a difficult to find Baum 1st/1st, particularly since it will look very nice on the shelf.
