SAN FRANCISCO – The Gary Dollar Collection of the Wizard of Oz headlines the PBA Galleries sale on Thursday, March 9. The collection gathered by Dollar over several decades features the major Oz works by L. Frank Baum and his successors, plus non-Oz works by Oz authors and illustrators, original artwork and more, with many rarities. In addition, nearly 300 lots of captivating children’s books, rare illustrated works, original art, finely bound books and handsome sets, fine press books, miniature books and more round out the sale. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.com.
The sale begins with the book that started it all, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A second state of the first edition published in 1900, Baum’s famous book contains all 24 tipped-in color plates plus two additional plates from the first state laid in. It is an attractive copy with some expert restoration of the binding (est. $2,000-$3,000). An exceptional copy of The Wizard of Oz Waddle Book will also be offered. This first edition, first state copy has five of the six waddle sheets with all toy parts still present. Also present is the band that held the yellow brick road ramp, and the metal clips for assembling the toys, along with their envelope. The pictorial dust jacket remains vibrant and has slight wear (est. $5,000-$8,000).
High points of children’s literature in the sale include a rare first edition, first printing of the classic novel, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, the story of an orphan girl on Prince Edward Island, Canada. This copy is bound in the original brown cloth rather than the more common green cloth and house in a custom half morocco case (est. $8,000-$12,000).
A first edition, first printing of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, will also be up for auction. This iconic 20th century children’s picture book in in the rare original dust jacket and chronicles the story of a caterpillar eating his way to becoming a butterfly (est. $5,000-$8,000).
A first edition, second printing of L. Frank Baum’s first children’s book, Mother Goose in Prose. This was also the first book illustrated by American artist and illustrator Maxfield Parrish (est. $2,000-$3,000).
Other featured lots include: Nouvelle Iconographie des Camellias, 10 volumes in 5, 1849-1869, with 480 hand-colored lithographs, is one of the “rarest and greatest” 19th century iconographies on camellias (est. $6,000-$9,000); The Novels, Dramas and Selected Poems of Victor Hugo, 21 volumes, 1894, bound in full morocco, and lavishly illustrated with plates in four states, it is one of 26 sets of the Special Edition (est. $4,000-$6,000); Alan James Robinson’s Trout & Bass, from the Press of the Sea Turtle, with six hand-colored etchings by Robinson, six original watercolors and 18 tied flies, is one of five artist proof copies (est. $3,000-$5,000); and Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper, 1965, the scarce first book in her “Dark is Rising” series, the first edition in dust jacket, is inscribed by the author (est. $1,500-$2,000).
For more information, contact the PBA Galleries at 415-989-2665 or pba@pbagalleries.com.
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