“I am particularly engaged just now, though, with an opera I am doing for Mr. Dillingham, that will be put on by Montgomery and Stone, succeeding ‘The Red Mill.’ Their ideas are being largely worked out in the plot in order to bring out their specialties. During the play they will represent nine different characters. That means many quick changes for them. This play will be very scenic also. The exact date of this production is not decided yet, and neither is the title, though we are thinking favorably of ‘Peter, and Paul.’ One of the big things in it is the music. Arthur Pryor has written it, and it is going to make a great hit. It is the first musical play he has ever written, his efforts having been confined principally to band music. He is the greatest trombone player in the world, you know, and it is pretty well conceded that the success of the Sousa marches was largely due to him. He would play out the heavy trombone airs, and Sousa would write around them. Have you heard a Sousa march that amounted to anything since they separated? I was up at Pryor’s country place last summer, and he has stacks of the same kind of music, music that sticks in your mind, full of melody, that is in the score of this new opera of ours.
“In all this talk of coming operas, I would like to say a word for ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ It never grows old. It is just as bright and fresh and popular to-day as it was at its first performance eight years ago. The ‘Wizard’ is an extraordinary thing. It is the only musical comedy that has lived for eight years. One reason is, it has an original idea. A manager will pay fifty times as much for an idea as he will for a whole written opera that is not original. And that is precisely the cause of the many failures we see on the boards to-day — they are imitations. The ‘Wizard’ makes good because it is good. It has the idea.
Georgina Caine as Dorothy Dare and chorus in “The Motor Girl” at the Lyric
Final scene in Act II in “The Motor Girl” at the Lyric
“It isn’t through opera, though, that I hope to live that I base any hopes I may have of having my name written in bronze. My important work I consider to be my fairy tales, not my plays. The ‘Wizard’ was written as a child’s book three years before it was put on as a play. My fairy stories are a radical departure from the old regulation fairy tale about princesses and princes, and so on. But there is not one transplanted idea either in the Oz series or any of my fairy books. Of the twenty-two books of fairy tales I have written, five, counting the one I am working on now, are Oz books. That one which will soon be finished will be called ‘The Road to Oz.’ I will write one more next year, and that will close the series of the chronicles of Oz.
“The bulk of these books have been written right here in Coronado, and are so signed, so you see Coronado comes in for a little fame in connection with them. I have turned out more books at Coronado than any other writer. In fact, I am often called a California writer.
“My books have been translated into almost every language, including Japanese, and in my travels abroad I have found them cherished by children, from Egypt, in Nubia on the edge of darkest Africa, to the interior of the Philippines, and a friend said he saw one in a house at Hongkong, in China. The children are all friends of ‘The Gingerbread Man,’ ‘John Dough,’ ‘The Hungry Tiger,’ ‘The Cowardly Lion,’ ‘Dorothy,’ ‘The Scare-crow,’ ‘Tiktok,’ and the ‘Mischievous Mifkets,’ and all my queer people, and I am a friend of the children.”
Interested as he is in his work, and heavy as are its demands on him, Mr. Baum does not allow it to interfere with his enjoyment of the California out-of-door life. Every morning and until half-past two in the afternoon he spends in his “workshop,” and then he plays golf until half-past four.
“My one recreation is golf, and conditions here are ideal for the game. Every afternoon sees me out on the Coronado links.”
An article on Mr. Baum’s work would be incomplete without mention of his pet enterprise, the Children’s Theatre, the only playhouse of its kind in the world. The theatre is being built in New York, on West Fifty-seventh Street, near Carnegie Hall, and will probably be opened early in the coming season. It is for the production of fairy plays, suitable for children, and actively interested with Mr. Baum are Mrs. Carter Harrison, of Chicago, and a number of other prominent eastern society women.
D. E. Kessler.
Biographical account about Baum
From: Los Angeles from the Mountains to the Sea, V.III, by John Steven McGroarty. The American Historical Society, 1921
Although the career of a literary or professional man seldom exhibits any of those striking incidents that seize upon public feelings and fix attention upon himself, the late Lyman Frank Baum proved an exception to the rule. From maturity until his death his career was one of laborious yet enjoyable and contented literary effort, and the high distinction which he attained was evidence that he possessed genius of an extraordinary quality. There never has been an author of juvenile stories who attained wider popularity among children or who found his way into the hearts and affections of readers of all ages, as did Mr. Baum. For, although his work was almost exclusively dedicated to children, there were many of more mature years among his readers who found keen enjoyment in his delightful whimsicalities, which enabled them to live over again their own happy childhood, while following the adventures of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and his many mythical, amusing and entertaining associates.
L. Frank Baum was born at Chittenango, New York, May 15, 1856, a son of Benjamin Ward and Cynthia (Stanton) Baum. His father, one of the earliest oil men, owned rich possessions in the Pennsylvania fields, and both John D. Rockefeller and John Archbold were at one time in his employ. Mr. Baum received an academic education at Syracuse, New York, which was later supplemented by instruction from a private English tutor.
When the “Wizard of Oz Man” (as he was for many years affectionately called) was but twelve years of age, his father presented him with a printing press, upon which, for some time, he indulged his literary tendencies by publishing a paper known as “The Roselawn Home Journal,” “Roselawn” being the name of his father’s estate near Syracuse. His first public writings were in the line of newspaper work in New York, Pennsylvania and Chicago. From 1888 to 1890 he was owner and editor of the “Saturday Pioneer,” at Aberdeen, South Dakota, and from 1897 to 1902 he owned and edited “The Show Window” at Chicago.
Mr. Baum became a playwright early in life, his “Maid of Arran” having been produced in New York in 1881. In the following year, in the same city, appeared “Matches,” which was followed in 1884 by “Kilmorne,” produced at Syracuse; in 1885 by “The Queen of Killarney,” produced at Rochester; in 1902 by “The Wizard of Oz,” produced in Chicago; in 1905 by “The Woggle Bug,” produced in Chicago; in 1908 and 1909 by the “The Radio Play” (motion pictures of Baum’s Fairy Tales), produced at Chicago and New York, and in 1913 by “The Tik Tok Man of Oz,” produced in Los Angeles. ,
It was as a writer, however, more than as a playwright, that Mr. Baum is best known. For more than twenty years he wrote children’s and other stories for various magazines, including St. Nicholas, Youth’s Companion and others. The possessor of a rare whimsical style that was of preeminent appeal to children, during his life he took place in the front rank of writers of juvenile fiction. His first published book was “Mother Goose in Prose,” which appeared in 1897, and the drawings for this story were the first book illustrations done by Maxfield Parrish. Its success encouraged Mr. Baum to further effort, and the next work to appear from his own pen was “By the Candelabria’s Glare,” a book of poems. This work was compiled while the Baums were living in Chicago. He installed a small printing press in his home, upon which he printed the hook entirely without assistance, and each one of a coterie of intimate friends contributed to the manufacture of the book, donating paper, ink, book ends and even the thread used in binding. Later he wrote another decidedly entertaining volume, “Tamawaca Folks,” woven around friends surrounding his family at a Michigan summer resort. This was followed by “Father Goose — His
Book,” and then by the most famous of all his works, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
He married, in Fayettville, New York, November 9, 1882, Maud Gage, whose mother, Matilda Joslyn Gage, wrote considerable woman’s suffrage literature and who was a co-worker with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in the editing of “The History of Woman’s Suffrage.” Four sons were born of this union: Frank Joslyn, who served in France as an officer of Heavy Artillery; Robert Stanton, an officer in the Engineer Corps; Harry Neal, a resident of Chicago, and Kenneth Gage of Los Angeles. It was while these sons were still lads that Mr. Baum conceived the idea which lead to the creation of the Oz characters. He had been in the habit of telling stories to his children and those of his neighbors, his favorite tales being fancifully woven around a wonderful cast-iron man, which later became the famous Tin Woodman of Oz. From this start the stories grew and developed, and Mr. Baum occasionally wove in a “scarecrow” or some other odd character as his prolific fancy dictated. These stories eventually came to the ears of his friends, who urged him to place them into connected form and publish them; and thus came into being the famous series of Oz stories.
“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” took the country, as represented by its juvenile readers, literally by storm. It was followed in chronological order by “A New Wonderland,” “The Songs of Father Goose,” “The Army Alphabet,” “The Navy Alphabet,” “American Fairy Tales,” “Dot and Tot of Merryland,” “The Art of Decorating” (a technical work for window trimmers), “The Master Key,” “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus,” “The Enchanted Island of Yew,” “The Magical Monarch of MO,” “The Marvelous Land of Oz,” “The Woggle Bug book,” “Queen Zixi of Ix,” “Animal Fairy Tales,” “John Dough and the Cherub,” “Ozma of Oz,” “Dorothy and the Wizard,” “Baum’s Fairy Tales,” “The Road to Oz,” “The Emerald City of Oz,” “Baum’s Juvenile Speaker,” “The Sea Fairies,” “The Daring Twins,” “Phoebe Daring, Conspirator,” “Sky Island,’ “Little Wizard Series,” “Patchwork Girl of Oz,” “Baum’s Snuggle Tales,” “Tik Tok Man of Oz,” “Scarecrow of Oz,” “Rinkitink in Oz,” “Babes in Birdland,” “The Lost Princess of Oz,” “The Tin Woodman of Oz” and “The Magic of Oz.” Upon his death Mr. Baum left some completed manuscripts which his publishers will announce as posthumous works for the future.
During his career Mr. Baum also wrote under several noms de plume, the “Mary Louise” books, and the “Flying Girl” and “Aunt Jane Nieces” series under the name of “Edith Van Dyne,” the “Boy Fortune Hunters” series under the name of “Floyd Akers,” the “Sam Steele” series under the name of “Captain Hugh Fitzgerald,” the “Twinkle Tales” and the “Babes in Birdland” under the name of “Laura Bancroft,” and various other books under the name of “Suzanne Metcalf” and “Schuyler Stanton.” He left a book dedicated to each one of his children and grandchildren, while the most popular of all his works, the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” is dedicated to his wife.
Having spent many winters in Southern California, about 1909, Mr. Baum decided to live here permanently and built a residence at 1749 Cherokee Avenue, Hollywood, where he made his home. “Ozcot” as it is known, is one of the attractive and unique dwellings in Hollywood, surrounded by a beautiful garden in which Mr. Baum delighted to work. He became known as the amateur king of chrysanthemums of Southern California, his dahlias and chrysanthemums in which he specialized, having taken over twenty silver cups at numerous flower shows. A well stocked aviary and fish pond, both of which Mr. Baum built, and a summer house in which many of the Oz books were written, are also in this enclosed garden.
While living at Macatawa, on Lake Michigan, he owned a summer home which he named the “Sign of the Goose.” For this house he made all the furniture, the brads used in the manufacture thereof being in the form of brass geese. The border trimmings in the rooms were stenciled geese, and a large glass window portrayed an immense goose in colors.
Mr. Baum was a man who was conversant with many subjects, was appreciative of good music and had a highly developed artistic sense. In politics he never allowed himself to be bound by party ties, but gave his vote to the candidate whom he deemed best suited for the office.
His social connections included membership in the Los Angeles Athletic Club, and the Uplifters of Los Angeles, the Chicago Athletic Association and the Players Club of New York. After having suffered severely for fifteen months with a serious illness, Mr. Baum quietly passed to his final rest May 6, 1919.
Newspaper Interview, 1905
From: The Syracuse Post Standard, June 28, 1905
Love in Children for Fairy Tales Is Natural, Says L. Frank Baum
To a Milwaukee Sentinel reporter a few days ago L. Frank Baum, the brother of Dr. H. C. Baum of this city, talked interestingly about children’s stories, The Sentinel says.
“L. Frank Baum of Chicago, author of the most fanciful and pleasing fairy tales for childhood since the days when Hans Christian Andersen used to charm readers, both young and old, with his great tales, is in Milwaukee on a business trip, and is registered at the Hotel Pfister. Mr. Baum talked interestingly yesterday about his work and the fascination that folk lore and fairy tales have always had for readers of every age and condition of life.
‘The love for fairy tales seems to be a natural inheritance of childhood,’ said Mr. Baum. ‘The reason for this has been debated by students of psychology and teachers of the young with frequency, and the only plausible explanation they have been able to reach is that the mind of a child, which unfolds with great rapidity during the first few years of life, is conscious of so much of the happenings of the real world it can only wonder at, that any story not containing a great deal of exaggeration and wonderful happenings seems tame to them.
‘In other words, children crave fairy characters and prefer their adventures to any other sort of a story.
‘Childhood seems to be perennial in the human race. Although we adopt grave and sedate airs, we are all children at heart, with the same love for the miraculous and the wonderful as in the days when as tiny tots we listened in round-eyed amazement while mother or nurse read us of the adventures that Jack had with the beanstalk. For that reason adults read my books with the same interest that characterizes the most youthful readers.
‘The recognized authors of fairy tales are few indeed. The Grimm brothers were simply collectors and compilers of tales and old folk lore. This is also true of Andrew Lang who has published so many entertaining books. These men have done work of inestimable value to the world in that they have preserved numerous legends which otherwise must have been lost or forgotten.
‘Hans Christian Andersen was the first author to be recognized as a producer of fairy tales, and he became famous in consequence as there was considerable satisfaction in being able to trace a fairy tale to its legitimate source. After him came Lewis Carroll, the famed author of “Alice in Wonderland,” who was the next author to create a distinct class in fairy literature, and so the list really ends as far as the Old World is concerned.
‘I think I was the first author of fairy tales in America to win recognition. My most famous book is the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” The “Scare Crow,” the “Tin Woodman” and the “Cowardly Lion” have all become famous in their way. All of my stories have some sort of a central figure, around which the somewhat gauzy plot is woven.’
“Mr. Baum has published no less than sixteen books of fairy tales.”
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Advertisement from: The Publisher’s Weekly, June 23, 1900
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FATHER GOOSE: HIS BOOK.
Rhymes by L. Frank Baum. Pictures by W. W. Denslow. The juvenile sensation of 1899.
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Rhymes by L. Frank Baum. Pictures by W. W. Denslow. Music by Alberta N. Hall.
This book contains twenty-six of the Father Goose rhymes set to delightful music, and accompanied by the appropriate pictures from the earlier publication. The music is inspiring, melodious, and written within the range of children’s voices. Published June 9; first edition 5000 ; more than half sold in one week.
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THE ARMY ALPHABET. THE NAVY ALPHABET.
Complete Works of L. Frank Baum Page 893