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The Stuart and Mimi Rose Collection /

L. Frank Baum

Item 4B

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

1900
First Edition
First Issue
Presentation Copy

This copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is inscribed by the author L. Frank Baum and also includes a related letter that has been attached to the book. Baum gifted this book to W. C. Foster, a children’s book reviewer, thanking her for the “delightfully entertaining style” of her review. Baum’s story about a Kansas farm girl named Dorothy and her pet dog Toto—who are carried away from their home by a cyclone and set down in Oz, where she meets the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and a couple of witches—received good reviews then, and has received good reviews ever since. The 10,000 copies of the first edition quickly sold out, and by 1956 three million copies had been sold.

The title page of
A handwritten note reads
An open book displays a
An open book displays an illustration of a girl with long, braided hair gazing at a sunset over a field and a dog. Text on the page reads,

What will you discover next?

F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby
An open book featuring a handwritten note in black ink on the right-hand page. The note begins with:

Another distinctly 20th century novel?

Go To Item 13B

A. A. Milne Winnie-the-Pooh
Detail from a hand-drawn map of the

Another great work of children’s literature?

Go To Item 12D

Return to the Rose Collection
A vibrant, symmetrical collage features historical black-and-white photographs of three individuals encircled with colorful floral patterns. The background is filled with intricate designs of butterflies and geometric shapes in shades of teal, coral, and beige.

Return to the Rose Collection

Visit the Folger to see this object on exhibit

Imprints in Time

Imprints in Time

This special exhibition at the Folger features rare books from the collection of Stuart and Mimi Rose that present literary, cultural, and historical high points.
Through Sun, Jan 5, 2025
Plan your visit
Rose Exhibition Hall