Bidspirit auction | 1918. Baum, L. Frank. The

1918. Baum, L. Frank. The Tin Woodman of Oz. The Reilly & Britton Co. First Edition. - This is a single hardcover volume of The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum, featuring illustrations by John R. Neill. The title page identifies the publisher as The Reilly & Britton Co., Chicago. A copyright page includes a black and white illustration of a running figure and states Copyright 1918 by L. Frank Baum, All rights reserved, and Made in .U S. A. The volume is bound in tan cloth with a pictorial color label on the front cover and faded red cloth on the back. The spine features black stamped text for the title and author name above a line drawing of the Tin Woodman. Internally, the book contains a color frontispiece depicting the Tin Woodman and another tin figure shaking hands, as well as numerous black and white illustrations throughout the text. The book includes a dedication page reading This Book is dedicated to the son of my son Frank Alden Baum. On the This Book Belongs to page, there is a handwritten ink inscription that reads Leota Weidert from her little cousin Eleanor Curtis Lane. The Reilly & Britton imprint, combined with the 1918 copyright date, identifies this as the first edition of the twelfth Oz book. The book is in fair to good condition with significant evidence of age and use. The cloth covers show heavy rubbing, staining, and surface soiling (photo 1, 2). The spine is faded with fraying and loss of cloth at the head and tail, and the corners are bumped and frayed (photo 3). The front hinge is shaken with the underlying mesh exposed at the gutter (photo 4). There is a significant vertical tear through the color frontispiece extending from the bottom edge to the center (photo 6). A smaller closed tear is visible on the top edge of the title page (photo 5). Internal pages show general toning, occasional foxing, and minor finger soiling consistent with age (photos 7-15).