"An envelope addressed to the Library's Copyright Office on Baum's personal stationery, featuring Father and Mother Goose, characters designed by W.W. Denslow for Baum's previous books" ("A Whiz").
Image Source: "'A Whiz of a Wiz' New Library Exhibition on 'The Wizard of Oz' Opens." 'A Whiz of a Wiz' (March 2000). N.p., n.d. Web. 17 June 2014.
At the age of forty-one, Baum began telling the story of Oz to children gathered around him on his porch steps. Two years later, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was the best selling children’s book of its publication year, 1900 (Rahn). The titles of Baum’s first two publications were fairly easy, but various explanations for the title of the magical land, Oz, have been circulated. One such explanation is that Baum was asked by one of the children what the fantastic land Dorothy had been traveling through was called. Apparently, on this story telling occasion, Baum was within range of his filing cabinet, which, with a drawer labeled “O-Z,” provided him a quick escape from the question he was not yet prepared to answer (L. Frank Baum).
Baum went on to write a total of fourteen Oz books because it was a profitable enterprise, but also because his fans insisted that he keep the series rolling (Carpenter and Carpenter). The Marvelous Land of Oz is prefaced with a note from Baum himself, stating that its production is only in response to over a thousand letters demanding that he write another Oz book, but that he was reluctant to do so. This is representative of Baum’s intent; although the first book was immensely popular, his first instinct was not to write solely for monetary benefit. The child’s imagination was of utmost importance to Baum. However, the book’s popularity inevitably led to endeavors for which Baum hoped to reap financial benefits. The widespread popularity of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz led to several theatre and film adaptations, the most notable being MGM’s 1939 film, directed by Victor Flemming.