The Wizard of Oz. Pictures by W.W. Denslow. London; Hutchinson, (1926). First Edition Thus. Dark red publisher’s cloth boards with black lettering to the spine & with an illustration to upper cover. Rubbing to boards, spine neatly re-cased. Scattered spotting to contents pages. Ownership inscription and small numbered label to front free endpaper.

This is the first Hutchinson edition and is considered the first British edition of the novel. It predates the editions published to coincide with the 1939 MGM film release.

The first American edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900 by the George M. Hill Company. The Oz books were pioneers in the commercialisation of children’s literature. Baum, who had worked in advertising, created a multimedia empire around his brand—including stage shows, films, toys,and games, creating a model for how children’s stories could be marketed