"The Wizard of Oz", by L. Frank Baum, the book is designed and illustrated by W.W. Denslow, the last copyright, 1903 by Baum and Denslow, published by Donohue & Co., Chicago in 1913;. One of the finest editions with colorful pages, over 70 illustrations + 16 plates on glossy paper, almost all pages (261) are colorfully decorated. There is an inscription on the first blank page, "To my little "star" girlie from her mother. Dec.25. 1913."

Exceptionally rare to find this early edition in such very good condition and almost pristine binding.

First state of the first Donohue edition with all 16 color plates, which is identical to the first Bobbs - Merrill edition of 1903. In catalogs, this edition is listed as the "1st state of the 3rd edition." Value $1,000 to $1,500. Only a small amount was issued. In the same year, Donahue issued a second state, a cheaper edition without color plates.

CONTENTS:

The Cyclone,
The Council with the Munchkins,
How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow,
The Road Through the Forest,
The Rescue of the Tin Woodman,
The Cowardly Lion,
The Journey to the Great Oz,
The Deadly Poppy Field,
The Queen of the Field-Mice,
The Guardian of the Gates,
The Wonderful Emerald City of Oz,
The Search for the Wicked Witch,
The Rescue,The Winged Monkeys,
The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible,<br.The Magic Art of the Great Humbug,
How the Balloon was Launched,
Away to the South,
Attacked by the Fighting Trees,
The Dainty China Country,
The Lion becomes the King of Beasts,
The Country of the Quadlings,
The Good Witch Grants Dorothy's Wish,
Home Again.

"Folk lore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instructive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal. The winged fairies of Grimm and Andersen have brought more happiness to childish hearts than all other human creations.

Yet the old-time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as "historical" in the children's library; for the time has come for a series of newer "wonder tales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and bloodcurdling incident devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale.

Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder-tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident. Having this thought in mind, the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written solely to pleasure children today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heart-aches and nightmares are left out. L. Frank Baum, Chicago, April, 1900."

US: Priority (c 2-4 days) ----- $20.50
Canada: Express (c 5-7 days) -- $54.50
World: Express (c 5-10 days) -- $75.50

Hard boards, original pictorial green cloth, illustrated both boards [tin man on the backboard as required for the first state]; the backboard had a bend [see picture], 6.3/4" x 9", 261 pages [page #157-"Chapter XIII" has a 6" vertical crease and old repair with the paper strip on the blank backside: see picture; page #247 has c. 1" blank edge damage; page #228 has a c. 1" crease at the bottom] ca.70 illustrations; 16 additional color plates on glossy paper including the title page are present; illustrated green/red/white endpapers are not creased at the hinges; very good binding and condition. [l5ia]