The Emerald City of Oz (1910, the special 6th "End of Oz series" title written by Baum)

First Edition, First Printing (1910). Outside of the very first Wizard of Oz book, a wholly unique title in the entire Oz series. After 10 years and five Oz books, Baum grew tired of OZ and turned his attention to creating a new children's tales. Accordingly, The Emerald City of Oz was created and published as a final, farewell book that would close out the story and OZ franchise. "You will never here anything more about Oz," Dorothy writes to the author in the final chapter, "because we are now cut off forever from all the rest of the world. But Toto and I will always love you and all the other children who love us." As such, the publisher pulled out the stops to make this "final" OZ book elaborate and very special. The illustrator John Neill created 16 full colored plates (as opposed to 12), and each plate was embellished in an emerald green metallic ink. The front cover was similarly embellished with a silver metallic background and the emerald metallic ink as well. The metallic cover lasted only for the first printing. And the green metallic plate embellishments only through the second printing, in edition to cutting four of the 16 color plates from all future printing runs. This simplified format would become the norm for the next 20 years. Ultimately, financial pressures prompted Baum to return to OZ and publish The Patchwork Girl of Oz, and then seven other OZ books to follow before his death. We're all glad he did! Binding variant A (dark blue cloth, less common color). Front cover pastedown illustration with special metallic silver background and metallic green embellishments. Beautifully illustrated with 16 full page color illustrations all of which have borders and/or other highlights in a special metallic emerald green; (no captions beneath, as called for). Quite striking in many cases. Also, black & white illustrations throughout, a number full page. Orange and black endpapers of "Ozma of Oz" and with verso on the ownership page advertises 5 titles ending John Dough and the Church (as called for to establish first impression priority). Internal content very good for the age, with some foxing throughout including to the frontispiece and some color plates, but not detracting from the metallic green embellished illustrations. Boards are good plus in publisher's original darker blue cloth, darkened on the front board margins, and even more so on the spine, with black stamped title, publisher stamp and metallic silver pictorial image darkened and rubbed. Spine head and tail missing a bit of cloth, but otherwise the binding is quite square and tight and the boards nicely firm. Edgewear commensurate with age, corners bumped and worn. No jacket. Orange and black endpapers of Ozma of Oz (as called for to establish priority). Verso on the ownership page advertises 5 titles ending John Dough and the Church. 4to. 296 pp.