Cyclone on the Prairies: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Arts & Crafts of Publishing in Chicago, 1900 [with] A Bookbinder's Analysis of the First Edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

San Francisco: The Book Club of California [printed by Peter R. Koch], 2011. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 300, folio size, 143 and 49 pp. respectively. From prospectus: "The chief aim of Peter Hanff's study and analysis of 'America's most famous fantasy' is to explore some of the particular facts and circumstances that helped establish Baum's 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' as an American classic, despite formidable obstacles to success....The companion volume by Michael Riley is a scholarly and readable study of the production of the first edition of this children's classic."

Designed and printed by the inimitable Peter Koch, the (truncated) production shows his work as a master printer throughout. Included in the book is an original leaf from the first edition of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", the illustrated sectional title page for Chapter VIII, "The Deadly Poppy Field", showing Dorothy and Toto asleep under a poppy plant.

___DESCRIPTION: "Cyclone" quarter green cloth with decorated orange paper boards, orange paper spine label with black lettering and ruled border, rust-coloured endpapers, tipped-in between the half-title and title pages is an original leaf from the first printed edition of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", double-spread title page in red and black with a decoration in green, aproximately half of the book with full-colour reproductions of a variety of Oz and Baum books; Adobe Jenson type, folio size (12 1/8" by 9 1/4"), pagination: [1-12] 13-141 [1, blank] [1, colophon]. The companion volume, "A Bookbinder's Analysis of the First Edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" softbound in rust cardstock wraps, illustration of the Tin Man on the front, black lettering on the spine, orange endpapers, frontis a full-colour reproduction of the first edition; also folio size (12 1/8" by 9 1/8"), pagination: [1-8] 9-47 [1, blank] [1, colophon]. Both volumes enclosed in a slipcase covered with brown cloth and lined with rust paper, by John DeMerritt Bookbinding.

___CONDITION: Both volumes fine, with clean boards/wraps, straight corners without rubbing, strong, square text blocks with solid hinges, the interiors are clean and bright, and both books entirely free of prior owner markings; clean, crisp, and as new; note, however, that the errata slips are lacking from both volumes. The slipcase near fine, strong and sturdy, with a few light spots of soil and very light rubbing to the bottom.

___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an unusually large and heavy volume and additional postage may apply; please inquire for details.

___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help. (Inventory #: CNBR466)