First Edition of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz By L. Frank Baum
BAUM, L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. With Pictures by W.W. Denslow. Chicago: Geo. M. Hill Co, 1900.
First Edition of " The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” First edition, second state with first state first state of plate facing p.34 with the two dark blots on the moon. The points are as following: on p. [2], the publisher’s advertisement has no box; on p. 14, line one begins "low wail of."; p. 81, fourth line from bottom has "pieces"; p. [227], line 1 begins: "While The Woodman."; and the colophon is reset in thirteen lines with no box; with broken type in the last line of p. 100 and p. 186. The verso of the title-page has a press-printed copyright notice, with the "R" s having tails that are on a line with the rest of the printing. First state of plate facing p. 34 with the two dark-blue blots on the moon and the second state of plate facing p. 92 without the pink shading at the horizon. Quarto (8 5/16 x 6 3/8 inches; 211 x 165 mm). 259, [1, blank], [1], [1, blank] pp. Twenty-four inserted color plates (including title).
Original light green cloth pictorially stamped and lettered in red and a darker green (variant C with publisher s imprint at foot of spine in red in serifed type, with the "C" of "Co." encircling the "o"). Pictorial pastedown endpapers (issued without free endpapers). Two tiny soil spots to front cover and some light toning to spine, previous owner's contemporary gift inscription first page, dated 1900. Preserved in a custom archival mylar. Housed in a custom full green morocco clamshell, lettered in gilt on spine. Overall, a very good copy, quite fresh and rarely seen in such nice condition.