When it was first published in 1900, The Wizard of Oz quickly became the best selling children's book in the United States. In response to popular demand, L. Frank Baum wrote thirteen additional Oz books over the following twenty years, introducing a motley crew of characters whose adventures in Oz reflected contemporary concerns.
Baum's stories created a fantastical place of wonder enlivened by colorful illustration. Throughout the fourteen books of the Oz series, the illustrations brought to life a uniquely American wonder tale. Drawing from the books in Connecticut College's Bromberg Collection of Oz and Gildersleeve Collection of Children's Literature, this exhibition highlights the contributions of the author and illustrators in constructing Oz. These books were among the most lavishly produced for children at the time.