Preliminary identification
Photo reference
4 uploaded photos
Overview
This is a 1927 illustrated children's reader titled 'Brownies in the Greenwood', written by Nathaniel Moore Banta with illustrations by Dorothy Dulin. Published by the prominent Chicago educational press A. Flanagan Company, it features charming graphic cloth binding and was intended for elementary classrooms and home reading.
Story
Published in 1927, this book rode the massive early 20th-century craze for woodland brownie folklore popularized by Palmer Cox, blending whimsical sprite tales directly into early childhood literacy readers.
Maker / Origin
Nathaniel Moore Banta was an educator and prolific author of nature and fantasy readers in the early 20th century, often pairing with Chicago illustrators. Publisher A. Flanagan Company was a staple in American classrooms from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, specializing in teacher aids and illustrated schoolbooks.
Condition & Value
Very good overall vintage condition for an early reader. Light shelf wear to spine ends and corners, minor edge rubbing, and faint surface marking on the rear cloth, with clear front stamping and tight binding. Intact exterior condition helps preserve its collectible value.
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Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.