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#OZ-3 - "The Patchwork Girl of OZ" - by L. Frank Baum - Reilly & Britton, 1913 - First Edition, First State - $295.00 This is the 7th OZ book written by Baum. As a First Edition - First State, it has the light green cloth cover and all the other significant textual points. There are 6 pages of publisher's advertisements, the first of which pictures the covers of the 5 OZ books published by Reilly & Britton up to that time. "The Wonderful Wizard of OZ" was published by a different company. On page 35, the "C" of "Chap. Three" overlaps the text. This only occurs on the earliest copies of the first printing according to Haff & Greene's "Bibliographia Oziana", published by The International Wizard of OZ Club. In addition to the full-color end papers front and back, there are 22 full-page, full-color illustrations plus additional half-page, color illustrations at the beginning of each of the 28 chapters. Finally, dozens of b&w illustrations are scattered throughout the text. With more than 50 color illustrations (counting the end papers), this is the most sumptuously illustrated of all the OZ books, possibly because Baum had announced in “The Emerald City of OZ” that he was “... forever cut off from OZ by an edict of Ozma...”. The truth is that he was tired of writing books about OZ and wanted to pursue other subjects. Thousands of children, over the next year, wrote and entreated him to find a way to communicate with OZ again, with “Patchwork Girl” being the result. Baum cleverly explains, in the Prologue, how it came to be that communication with OZ was restored, and ultimately went on to write another 7 OZ books, before his death in 1921. The condition is Fair+, with bumping, rubbing and soiling of the covers, as well as smudges on some interior pages. We employed Carol Pratt Restoration in Eugene, Oregon, a professional book conservator, to do repairs to the book, which was quite worn (but complete) when we acquired it. A copy of her invoice will accompany the book when sold. Both front and back end papers (see photo), have residual stains from scotch tape she removed from along the hinges. Two pairs of facing pages also had tape removed, leaving residual stains. And two other pages have had tattered edges repaired. The spine of the book was salvaged, but is only faintly legible. Otherwise, the book is complete, and once again tight and capable of being enjoyed for another century. A good reading copy.