Who illustrated the first edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?

W. W. Denslow illustrated the first edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Denslow was L. Frank Baum’s artistic collaborator, and the two men jointly held the copyright to much of their Oz work. His drawings helped establish the visual identities of Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Wizard for early readers.

The 1900 edition was unusually lavish for a children’s book. It included color plates, numerous illustrations, colored page backgrounds and distinctive typography. Denslow’s stylized figures became so recognizable that companies later sought permission to use them in advertisements, toys and other merchandise.

A common mix-up is confusing Denslow with John R. Neill, who illustrated many later Oz books. Neill became the principal Oz illustrator after Baum’s original collaboration with Denslow had ended, but he did not illustrate the first edition of Baum’s landmark novel.