Members of the Board Of Trustees of the Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum conceived of publishing a limited edition of one of Eugene Field's writings as part of a celebration commemorating the sesquicentennial of Field's birth on September 3, 1850.

Marianne Gleich, vice president of the board, offered a manuscript from her collection entitled Lena and the Old Witch. A careful search revealed that the manuscript has not appeared in Field's published works. This charming fairy tale is now offered for sale in a limited collectors' edition that was issued in September 2000.

The board chose to honor Field's dedication to high standards of printing and binding in creating Lena and the Old Witch. The book was lithographed on 80 pound Mohawk Superfine archival paper. The board commissioned Studio X, an established St. Louis company, to design the book, and to create the illustrations in color for it. The book contains a photographic portrait of Field as frontispiece as well as six illustrations in color to augment the text. It was bound in handsome red and black cloth. This collectors' edition is limited to 150 numbered copies, of which 145 were offered for sale to the public. A few copies remain in stock for sale. The price is $75.00.

Orders should be forwarded by mail to:

The Eugene Field House
634 South Broadway
St. Louis, Missouri 63102
Attention: Book Order

or by e-mail to:

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The illustration above is taken from Lena and the Old Witch and is used here with the permission of Michael Kilfoy, who owns the copyright for the artwork in the publication.