The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus – L. Frank Baum – 1902 | First State, Illustrated by Mary Cowles Clark

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum, published in 1902, is an early expansion of Baum’s fantasy world of Oz. Illustrated with 19 plates Mary Cowles Clark, this story describes how Santa came to begin making toys at Christmas, as well as introducing the Gnome King, who would appear later in the 1907 Ozma of Oz. Bound in original red pictorial cloth.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
• Author(s): L. Frank Baum
• Illustrator(s): Mary Cowles Clark
• Publisher: Indianapolis: The Bowen-Merrill Company
• Edition: First Edition, First State. 1902.
  • “Book First, Book Second and Book Third” in contents headings (first state identifier)
• Format: (4to), single volume
• Binding: Red cloth, pictorially stamped front board, decorative endpapers
• Size:  9.25 in x 7.25 in (23.5 cm x 18.4 cm)
• Collation: [10], 206 pp
  • Wanting front endpaper, otherwise complete
• Illustrations: 19 illustrated plates (of 20)
• Contents Include:
  • Book First: Youth
  • Book Second: Manhood
  • Book Third: Old Age

• Provenance: Handwritten signature of John S. Eldridge

Condition:

Good. Front endpaper and one of 12 color plates is missing; otherwise complete. Boards show moderate wear with dulled stamping and rubbing along edges. Text block is secure.

Why Collect This?

• First state of the original 1902 edition
• Includes early character crossover with Baum’s Oz series
• Illustrated with 19 plates by Mary Cowles Clark
• Collectible example of early American holiday fiction

Item Number: # 28912