By the Candelabra's Glare facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | L. Frank Baum |
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| Illustrator | N. Guy Chilberg, Charles J. Costello, W. W. Denslow, et al. |
| Cover artist | Charles J. Costello |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Publisher | Privately printed |
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Publication date
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1898 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 89 pp. |
By the Candelabra's Glare is a book of poems written by L. Frank Baum in 1898. It was one of his first books and helped him become a professional writer. Baum is famous for creating the magical world of Oz, including The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
How the Book Was Made
Baum's first book, Mother Goose in Prose, came out in 1897. It was a nice book with pictures by a young artist named Maxfield Parrish. However, it was quite expensive for a children's book, so it didn't sell very well.
For his second book, Baum decided to do things differently. When he was younger, Baum had his own printing press and even made a family newspaper. In 1898, he got another small printing press and some type. He then printed and bound 99 copies of his new poetry book himself! After he finished, his sons took over the printing press.
Friends Who Helped
Baum had lived in Chicago since 1891. He knew many journalists and artists from the city's newspapers. He also knew publishers through his magazine, The Show Window.
Baum asked his friends to help him with his special book. They provided paper, printing plates, inks, and other materials. Eight local artists drew pictures for the book. These artists included:
- Ralph Fletcher Seymour, who would later hand-letter Baum's Father Goose: His Book.
- Charles Jerome Costello, who also helped with Father Goose and other Baum books.
- Thomas Mitchell Pierce, who was related to Baum and illustrated one of his later novels.
- N. Guy Chilberg.
- Frank Hazenplug.
- Charles M. Tuttle.
- Gwynne C. Price, the only woman among the artists.
- Most importantly, W. W. Denslow. He would illustrate three more of Baum's famous books: Father Goose (1899), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), and Dot and Tot of Merryland (1901).
Baum dedicated By the Candelabra's Glare to his friend Harrison H. Rountree. Rountree later managed the rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and other Baum books for many years.
The Poems Inside
The Candelabra collection has 41 poems. These poems are a mix of serious and funny verses that Baum had written over the years. Some of them had even been printed in newspapers, including Baum's own paper in South Dakota.
One poem, "La Reine est Mort – Vive La Reine," is a funny look at early feminists. It says:
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- And shout hurrah for the woman new!
- With her necktie, shirt and toothpick shoe,
- With tailor-made suit and mien severe
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- She's here!
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Another poem, "Two Women," gives a more serious look at the same topic. It compares "woman Old" and "woman New." There's also a poem called "Nance Adkins," which tells the story of a farm wife.
What Happened Next
Even though By the Candelabra's Glare was a small, privately printed book, it led to Baum's first big success. The last part of the book had nine poems for children. Baum decided to make a whole new collection just for kids.
This idea turned into Father Goose, which he created with Denslow. Father Goose was a huge success in 1899 and truly started Baum's career as a famous writer. (Two poems from By the Candelabra's Glare also appeared in Father Goose.)
Original copies of By the Candelabra's Glare are now very rare and valuable to collectors. The book was printed again in 1981 as a copy of the original, with an introduction by a Baum expert named Peter Hanff.
