Jack Restored

Last fall I blogged about a drawing from The Marvelous Land of Oz that I purchased at auction. This happens to be one of my favorite Oz books by L. Frank Baum, and I was happy to be able to add an illustration from the book to my collection. It's a lovely image of Tip admiring the newly created Jack Pumpkinhead, and it was used as a color plate in the published book. Sadly, the original art had seen quite a bit of wear and tear, and there was extensive damage with a number of cracks in the illustration board. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity to acquire one of John R. Neill's first Oz illustrations, from 1904.

Last week I picked up the newly revived Jack Pumpkinhead, and I'm very pleased with the results of the restoration. I worked with an art conservator based at the local museum, and she did a fine job of bringing Jack back! No one can put this piece back into its original condition, but the damage has been greatly minimized. Restoration of this sort is not an inexpensive proposition, but I felt this piece was well worth preserving for future years!