The
Tin Woodman, better known as either the
Tin Man or (incorrectly) the
Tin Woodsman, (the third name appears only in adaptations, the first—and in rare instances, the second—was used by Baum), is a character in the fictional
Land of Oz created by
American author
L. Frank Baum. Baum's Tin Woodman first appeared in his classic 1900 book,
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and reappeared in many other
Oz books. In late 19th century America, men made out of various
tin pieces were used in advertising and political cartoons. Baum, who was editing a magazine on decorating shop windows when he wrote
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was reportedly inspired to invent the Tin Woodman by a figure he had built out of metal parts for a shop display.