Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co. Reprint, ca. 1927-1930. Octavo (23.5cm); green cloth-covered boards, with titling and decorations stamped in black on spine, and illustrated metallic-gold front cover label; pictorial endpapers; 256pp; 16 full-page in-color plates, with black and white illustrations throughout. Previous owner's name and initials inked to front pastedown and endpaper, with inked name to ownership page. Modest shelf-wear and soil, rubbing to board edges, light peeling to cover label, tiny chips and tears to margins throughout, with crinkled effect to pp.65-68, off-setting to pages surrounding full-color illustrations, two 2.5" tears to (truncated) margins of p.165 (illustration page), and 7" tear to rear endpaper; Good.

"The story is most notable for the return of the Wizard (whose real name, we learn, is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambrose Diggs), to the Land of Oz. Though still a "humbug" circus Wizard, Baum greatly expands upon his character and at the story's conclusion he is accepted as an honored member of Princess Ozma's court... For the 16 full-page plates, Neill prepared magnificent color paintings rather than black and white drawings to be colored later by the printer as had been the practice for Baum's previous Oz books" (see Bienvenue & Schmidt, The Book Collector's Guide to L. Frank Baum, p.33). BIENVENUE & SCHMIDT 36. [84635]. (Inventory #: 84635)