Heading:
Author: Neill, John R.
Title: Original metal printing plate for the illustration by John R. Neill printed on page 331 of The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Place Published: [Chicago]
Publisher:
Date Published: c.1913
Description:

The plate measures 18x13 cm (7x5"), set loose in a cloth mat, housed in custom-made half green levant morocco folding case, spine lettered in gilt. With the plate is a proof printing on paper of the illustration, and a finely printed edition in wrappers of "John R. Neil: Imperial Illustrator of Oz" by Michael Patrick Hearn, limited to 80 copies from the Ascensius Press of South Freeport, Maine, printed in 2014.

Rare printing plate for an illustration by John R. Neill, depicting Ozma of Oz holding her scepter. In the book it is printed in color. At the conclusion of Michael Patrick Hearn‘s essay on Neill, he describes the discovery of the printing plates: "It had long been assumed that all of the original printing plates for the Oz Books had been destroyed over the years first during the scrap metal drives of World War II and after Reilly & Lee was purchased by Henry Regnery, who eventually dropped all of the Oz titles except Baum‘s. Unexpectedly last December a significant number of these long forgotten plates turned up in New York. They came from the internationally renowned Richard Manney collection of rare books and comprise the only set known to have survived. The well-known book and art dealers, James Cummins and Lou Weinstein, purchased the lot of them and had proofs professionally pulled of each plate. The collection is now offered for sale as individual numbered boxed printing plates, each with its own same size proof."

Fine condition.